The site of the Kenhardt project in the Northern Cape. Photo: Eksfin

Project Information

Project agreements for Kenhardt 1, 2 and 3 were signed on 2 June 2022.

Developed under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), Scatec will enjoy 20-year power purchase agreement with the government to contribute 150MW of dispatchable capacity to the national grid.

“This project is a first of its kind and will be one of the world’s largest solar and battery facilities... a major contribution to South Africa’s economy and green energy sector.” - Scatec CEO Terje Pilskog.

The project will take 15 months to complete and will feature 540MW of solar photovoltaics (PV) capacity and battery storage capacity of 225 MW/1,140 MWh.

You can read the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy's joint media statement here.

Scatec's Upington Solar Complex in the Northern Cape. Photo: Scatec

Progress

Construction is in the early stages.

Roadlab is currently performing dynamic cone penetrometer testing at Kenhardt to determine the most appropriate method for compaction. We have also performed concrete mix designs, nuclear densities and some non-destructive concrete investigations.

Once complete, the Kernhardt project will be Scatec’s 4^th renewable plant in the Northern Cape. Their 258MW Upington plant, currently Scatec's largest in project in South Africa, producing 650GWh of clean energy for 120 000 households.

Their facility in Kalkbult currently produces 141GWh a year for 35 000 households while their Linde facility is producing 86GWh per annum for 20 000 households.

The projects have committed over R635 million towards Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development initiatives. Photo: engineeringnews.co.za

Impact

General manager of Scatec sub-Saharan Africa, Jan Fourie, explains that the construction of a solar-and-battery power plant in Kenhardt will do more than simply power homes in the area.

"We had a Vodacom tower put up so that we can have comms with our facility. Now that provides kind of really good coverage again for the people in the area where previously the was almost no signal, so there is a lot of spin-off benefits as well from doing these types of large infrastructure projects that are not normally part of the story."

Fourie had also said that the amount of local content that can be secured in South Africa is underestimated, that it would be possible to secure local solar trackers, cables, transformers and much of the required construction services locally.

We look forward to working with Scatec and its partners to secure industry-leading and competitive hybrid energy solutions for South Africa at such a critical time in its energy history.

Scatec's Upington Solar Complex, currently its largest project in South Africa. Photo: Moneyweb

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