Name and Location
Kalkbult solar photovoltaic project, Northern Cape, South Africa.

Client
Scatec Solar.

Project Description
The power plant will be located in Kalkbult, in the Northern Cape, which boasts some of the best conditions for solar power in the world.

The 75 MW project covers an area of 105 ha, the size of about 140 football fields. The plant will produce more than 135-million kilowatt hours a year, enough to cater for the electricity demand of 33 000 South African households.

The power will be fed into the local grid network and sold through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Eskom.

The project was selected as a preferred bidder during the first round of the Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) independent power producer programme.

Value
The capital investment for the project is about €200-million and will be financed through Standard Bank.

Duration
The project is scheduled for completion in January 2014.

Latest Developments
The Kalkbult plant has come on line three months ahead of schedule.

The plant comprises more than 312 000 solar panels, mounted on 156 km of substructure, including inverters, transformers and a high-voltage substation, and enables the abatement of about 115 000 t/y of carbon dioxide emissions.

Scatec Solar and its subcontractors recruited and trained more than 500 employees, mainly from the local community, at levels ranging from technical skills to finance and project management throughout the construction period of the project.

Further, part of the revenue and dividends generated from the plant had been earmarked for socioeconomic development initiatives in the immediate region.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Standard Bank, Mutual Life Assurance Company and Simacel (finance), and Kentz (engineering, procurement and construction).

On Budget and on Time?
The project was completed three months ahead of schedule.

Contact Details for Project Information
Scatec Solar VP communications, Sven Rost,  tel +47 932 53 196 sven.rost@scatec.no.
Standard Bank, tel +27 11 299 4701 or mail information@standardbank.co.za.
Simacel, tel +318 795 4591 or email info@simacel.com.
Old Mutual, Suzanne van Schoor, tel +27 21 504 4390 or Lisette Lombard, tel +27 21 509 3318.
Kentz, Paul Youens, tel +44 20 3159 4000.