Two more Northern Cape solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, Droogfontein Solar Power and De Aar Solar Power, have achieved commercial operations and will be formally inaugurated in mid May.

Both projects are majority owned by independent power producer Globeleq and both entered commercial operations in early April 2014, with construction having started in December 2012.

“We have reached a significant milestone having satisfied all of Eskom’s requirements for operations to commence, including grid code compliance,” Droogfontein Solar Power and De Aar Solar Power GM Mark Pickering reported.

The projects had proceeded simultaneously and, following a 17-month construction phase, the De Aar project entered commercial operations one day ahead of the Droogfontein project, which is situated near Kimberley.

The two solar PV projects, which were selected during the first bid window under South Africa’s renewable-energy competitive-bidding programme, would generate around 85 000 MWh a year, enough energy to power over 19 000 average South African homes.

To date, the South African government has selected a total of 64 renewables projects following three bidding rounds. These projects, 17 of which still had to reach financial close, collectively represented a combined foreign and domestic investment value of more than R100-billion and a combined capacity of 3 933 MW.

Besides Globeleq the other consortium partners in the two projects are Mainstream Renewable Power South Africa, Thebe Investment Corporation, Enzani Technologies and Usizo Engineering. Separate community trusts have also been set up to ensure local community participation in the projects.

Technology group Siemens was the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project and will provide maintenance services for the first five years of operation.  Construction was managed by Mainstream Construction, while the project companies are managed by Globeleq.