Aurex Constructors have been involved in the construction of over 580MWp of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in South Africa over the past 10 years.  Utility-scale facilities generate a large amount of solar power that feeds into the country's power grid. While the technology is similar to home or commercial solar systems, the magnitude of solar farms brings with it many challenges that address logistics, schedule, resources and stakeholder relationships which have to be overcome.

The first PV solar project undertaken by the company was the 75MWp Kalkbult project in De Aar, South Africa which started construction in November 2012. This project was the first large-scale solar plant to be completed and connected into the national grid within South Africa’s renewable energy independent procurement program (REIPP). The project was completed 3 months ahead of schedule with no injuries.

Since then, Aurex have constructed solar plants in some of South Africa’s most challenging locations, succeeding despite inclement weather and less than ideal terrain.  From clearing ground, constructing civil foundations and roads, executing electrical and mechanical installations, managing all construction activities to sign-off and commissioning. The team has also been performing the operating and maintenance of plants, including corrective and preventative maintenance issues and have been responsible for achieving the agreed percentage of plant availability and performance.

Whilst there were delays in the roll out between the REIPPP rounds, Aurex built smaller scale solar plants within the private sector, that feed power directly or through Wheeling Agreements to customers. These plants ranged in size from 3.9MWp to 10MWp demonstrating Aurex’s agility in its service offering and ability to customise its expertise to suit customer specific requirements.

CEO of Aurex, Stuart Kent says, “At a time when South Africans are facing consequences of loadshedding in businesses and our personal lives, the solar project in Kenhardt offers some relief in the near future.  For Aurex, being awarded this solar project is more than ‘winning a project’. It enables us to be actively involved in mitigating the loadshedding risk and improving the country’s economic outlook whilst it leans into the global strategy of achieving a net zero carbon economy.

We are proud of our reputation, built over the past 10 years in the industry as a leading construction partner for the execution of utility scale projects. We are excited about the future of renewables in our country and beyond and look forward to continuing to be a major contributor in this space.”