Name and Location
Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) – third window, nationwide, South Africa.

Client
Department of Energy (DoE).

Project Description
Seventeen renewable-energy developers have been appointed as preferred bidders, following the conclusion of bid submissions for the third round of the REIPPPP.

The wind projects listed include:

• Gibson Bay Wind Farm (111 MW)
• Longyuan Mulilo De Aar Maanhaarberg Wind Energy Facility (96 MW)
• Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North Wind Energy Facility (139 MW)
• Nojoli Wind Farm (88 MW)
• Khobab Wind Farm (138 MW)
• Noupoort Mainstream Wind (79 MW)
• Loeriesfontein 2 Wind Farm (138 MW).

The solar photovoltaic (PV) projects named are:

• Tom Burke solar park (66 MW)
• Pulida solar park (75 MW)
• Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska solar PV (75 MW)
• Mulilo Prieska solar PV (75 MW)
• Aurora (82.5 MW)
• Paleisheuwel (82.5 MW).

The preferred concentrated solar power (CSP) bidders include Abengoa, with its Xina Solar One parabolic trough CSP South Africa (100 MW), the joint venture (JV) FG Emvelo’s Karoshoek project and Cobra Energia (100 MW).

One landfill gas bidder, the Johannesburg landfill gas-to-electricity project, with a capacity of 18 MW; and one biomass bidder, the Mkuze biomass project, with a capacity of 16 MW, were also named.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Ongoing.

Latest Developments
Wind projects
The power purchase agreement (PPA) addendum for Red Cap’s 111 MW 37-turbine Gibson Bay Wind Farm was signed in February 2015.  It will enter commercial operation early in 2017.

The Longyuan Mulilo De Aar Maanhaarberg (96 MW) and Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North (139 MW) wind energy facilities will be developed by China Longyuan Power, Mulilo Renewable Energy and Black Community Company. The two projects will feature 67 and 96 wind turbines of 1.5 MW each respectively. Together the projects will require a R5-billion investment.

The 87 MW Nojoli and Gibson Bay wind farms, in the Eastern Cape, are being developed by the African Infrastructure Investment Management group and are being funded by Enel Green Power (EGP), Italy’s largest power company.

Mainstream Renewable Power is developing the 140 MW Khobab Wind Farm, 140 MW Loeriesfontein 2 project and 80 MW Noupoort development, all in the Northern Cape. The wind farms represent an investment of about R9-billion.
The Loeriesfontein project is expected to be operational by the end of 2017.
The Noupoort Wind Farm broke ground in July 2015 and had completed the laying of its first 14 foundations by August. The wind farm is expected to start commercial operation by mid-2016.

Solar projects
EGP is developing the 66 MW Tom Burke, 82.5 MW Paleisheuwel, 75 MW Pulida and the 82.5 MW Aurora solar PV projects, in the Western Cape, the Free State, Limpopo and the Northern Cape respectively.

Sonnedix contracted juwi Renewable Energies in December 2013 to build the R1.3-billion Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska PV solar park, in the Northern Cape. In December 2015 Sonnedix reported that the project was almost 50% complete. The project is expected to come into operation in July 2016.

CSP projects
Abengoa, together with its partners the Industrial Development Corporation, the Government Employees Pension Fund, represented by the Public Investment Corporation, and Kaxu Community Trust, closed the nonrecourse project financing for Xina Solar One project in March 2015. Construction of Xina Solar One started in 2014.

FG Emvelo, a JV between FG.de, a German group of companies and Pan-African company Emvelo Projects, is developing the 100 MW Karoshoek CSP project, in the Northern Cape. The CSP plant will use boilers for direct steam generation based on linear Fresnel technology.

The Mkuze biomass project, with a capacity of 16 MW, being developed by Building Energy in partnership with Charl Senekal Trust, South Africa’s largest private sugar producer, will burn sugar cane tops and trash to generate high-quality baseload power. The project entails a R1-billion capital investment. The project is expected to be completed in mid-2017.

Ener-G is constructing the 18 MW Johannesburg landfill gas-to-electricity project, which is expected to be completed in 2015.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Futuregrowth, Enel, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), Enel Green Power, Abengoa, Cobra Energia, Guodian United Power, Aurora Power Solutions, juwi Renewable Energies, Total SA, Mulilo Renewable Energy, Ener-G, Red Cap, Mainstream Renewable Power, African Clean Energy Developments, FG Emvelo and Navosync.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
DoE departmental spokesperson Thandiwe Maimane, tel +27 12 444 4256, cell +27 82 450 8591, fax +27 86 581 8505 or email MediaDesk@energy.gov.za.

Companies involved in the REIPPPP third window
Mainstream Renewable Power, Emmet Curley, tel +353 1 290 2027 or email emmet.curley@mainstreamrp.com.
Futuregrowth, tel  +27 21 659 5300, fax +27 21 659 5333 or email  info@futuregrowth.co.za.
Enel Green Power international press officer Roberta Vivenzio, tel +39 06 8305 1, fax +39 06 8305 3771 or email roberta.vivenzio@enel.com.
Abengoa communications department Patricia Malo de Molina Meléndez, tel +34 954 93 71 11 or email communication@abengoa.com.
Cobra Energia, tel +91 456 95 00, fax +91 456 94 50 or email central@grupocobra.com.
Mulilo Renewable Energy, tel +27 21 934 5268, fax +27 21 935 0505 or email info@mulilo.com.
RMB, tel +27 11 282 8000, fax +27 11 282 8008 or email info@rmb.co.za.
Aurora Power Solutions, tel +27 21 421 9764, fax +27 865 138 648 or email info@apsolutions.co.za.
FG.de, tel +49 941 200009 0, fax +49 941 200009 99 or email info@fg.de.
Emvelo, tel +27 11 523 6299, fax +27 11 784 0285 or email admin@emvelo.co.za.
ABB Power Products and Systems head of communications Harmeet Bawa, tel +41 43 317 6480, fax +41 43 317 6482 or email harmeet.bawa@ch.abb.com.
Building Energy Development Africa, tel +27 11 887 4364.