SolarAfrica Begins Work For 1 GW Project On SunCentral Solar Farm

SolarAfrica, an Independent Power Producer, providing financial and technical solutions in energy recently began construction on the Rand 5 billion development project. This marks the beginning of Phase 1 of the IPP’s flagship utility-scale project. It also marks some serious progress on South Africa’s challenge to add more renewable energy to a struggling grid. 

The Independent Power Producer built its first utility-scale solar farm based in the Northern Cape. Known as SunCentral, Phase 1 of this project will total around 342 MW in generation capacity, with Phases 2 and 3 bringing the total size to 1 GW. 
During the breaking ground ceremony, David McDonald, CEO of SolarAfrica Energy, explained the significance and strength of the partnerships behind SunCentral – a key driver behind its success.

A special mention went to Soventix South Africa. The company originally developed the project for submission into the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP). Soventix sold the rights to Phase 1 of the cluster development to SolarAfrica and will continue to develop Phases 2 and 3 for the project as time progresses.

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firms Proconics and Sinohydro are instrumental to the project’s success. Proconics will install SunCentral’s Main Transmission Substation (MTS) while Sinohydro will be responsible for the installation of more than 500 000 solar panels.
Infrastructure investments and industry advancements

Phase 1 of the project comes in at just under R5 billion. The MTS, totaling around R1 billion, is funded by SolarAfrica and will play a pivotal role in ensuring the power produced on-site can be evacuated into the national transmission grid. The solar installation adds another R4 billion to the investment, emphasizing the significant contribution SunCentral will make to the country’s power infrastructure. “Investments of this nature go a long way in bolstering the grid’s ability to manage and distribute power across the country,” McDonald said.

As part of the greater Starsight Energy Group, SolarAfrica’s SunCentral project will also serve as a blueprint for the adoption of wheeling projects in East and West Africa, with a specific focus on Kenya and Nigeria.

On a national scale, SunCentral will contribute towards reducing the generation burden off Eskom, so that the private and public partnerships can continue to address South Africa’s power struggles. 

The power generated at SunCentral is 100% green and comes at a tariff of up to 50% cheaper than utility power, enabling South African businesses to combat the constant electricity tariff hikes whilst supporting their sustainability goals. Businesses that are interested in accessing this power can sign a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement with SolarAfrica.

Customers are already signed up for Phase 1, more to come

With organizations like Vantage Data Centers, ATTACQ, and Empower Trading already signed up for Phase 1 of the project, it’s clear that businesses are keen to benefit from the cost-saving and environmental benefits of wheeling. With Phases 2 and 3 in the pipeline, there will be even more opportunities for businesses to sign up. SolarAfrica is in the process of finalizing several other solar projects in other parts of the country, as they build towards a generation portfolio totaling more than 3 GW.

The 2024 World Hydropower Outlook reveals that Africa’s installed hydropower capacity stands at 42 GW, providing 40% of sub-Saharan Africa’s power.