Vedanta Zinc International’s Northern Cape operation.
South African mining company Vedanta Zinc International has begun the first phase of a renewable energy programme.
The company has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with independent power producer Enernet Global to build, own, operate and maintain a 12 MW direct current solar photovoltaic plant for Vedanta Zinc International’s (VZI’s) Black Mountain Mining operations in the Northern Cape.
Construction of the solar plant, which will generate about 29 GWh of electricity a year, is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2024 and take nine months to complete.
Along with construction, the 25-year operational tenor of the plant is poised to generate direct and indirect jobs for communities within the Khâi-Ma municipal area and the broader Namakwa district.
VZI has further decarbonisation advancement on the way, with Phase 2 entailing entry into a new PPA.