South Africa has a significant potential for renewable energy. With a daily solar irradiation between 4.5 and 6 kWh per square meter, the major part of the power generation can be performed with solar solutions. The South African Government is determined to expand the share of renewable energies to 8,400 megawatts through photovoltaic systems by 2030.

Here, the Norwegian company Scatec Solar grid-connects South Africa’s first renewable IPP project. Scatec Solar was awarded the contract for 3 major projects (190 MWp) within the scope of the South African invitation to tender program „Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme“.

Out of these, the solar park in Kalkbult / Northern Cape is the largest, and also the first photovoltaic power plant in South Africa to be operational and supplying power to the mains grid. The plant has a capacity of 75 megawatts. It is therefore able to produce 135 million kWh of solar energy, and therefore satisfy the power needs of about 33,000 households. Through this, it is possible to save 115,000 tons of CO2 annually. On a surface area which is approximately the size of 140 soccer fields, there are currently more than 312,000 photovoltaic modules in operation with a total substructure length of 156 km, in one of the sunniest regions of the world.

The regulation of the park required a control system which had to be specially configured to meet the power grid requirements of the South African power utility company ESKOM. This controller is provided by QTE GmbH from Vellmar, which has specialized in these kinds of control systems. The QTE Power Plant Controller Highend was programmed in advance in the Vellmar / Kassel office, and then put into operation in Kalkbult / South Africa by QTE GmbH technicians.

For us, every photovoltaic system is a single project which is supported accordingly. We are proud to be able to contribute to this environmentally friendly major power plant in South Africa. With the experience gained in Kalkbult we will surely be able to successfully implement further projects of this magnitude,“ says Thomas Eusterwiemann, managing director of QTE GmbH. Scatec Solar opted for the solution from QTE GmbH, because the company has already successfully implemented several other solar projects for the Norwegian company: „QTE GmbH has proven itself to be very flexible in the area of the product development, regarding requirements which only start to emerge during the course of the project. QTE GmbH is especially the right choice for projects for which there is no „off-the-shelf“ solution, and where individual solutions are required,“ says Werner Froschauer from Scatec Solar.