SolarAfrica’s SunCentral 1 Reaches Commercial Operation, Bringing Renewable Energy Online For C&I Businesses Across SA
The latest milestone follows the energisation of SunCentral 1 in August and marks the first operating facility within the 342 MW first phase of SolarAfrica’s flagship utility-scale wheeling development.
SolarAfrica’s SunCentral 1 has reached Commercial Operation Date (COD), bringing 114 MW of new renewable energy generation capacity online as part of its flagship SunCentral development between Hanover and De Aar in the Northern Cape. This follows the completion and energisation of SunCentral 1 and the associated transmission infrastructure in August, and marks the transition of the first SunCentral facility from construction and commissioning into commercial operation.
For SolarAfrica, it is also an important step in the company’s move into the delivery and operation of utility-scale renewable energy projects. Says David McDonald, CEO at SolarAfrica: “SunCentral 1 reaching COD is significant because we are no longer talking about what large-scale wheeling can deliver in the future; it is now happening.”
“For our customers, this moves them from having contracted access to renewable energy towards receiving that power through the wheeling arrangement.”
SunCentral 1 forms part of the development’s 342 MW first phase, comprising three 114 MW solar facilities. At full scale, SunCentral is planned to deliver up to 1 GW of renewable energy capacity, supplying multiple commercial and industrial customers through one-to-many wheeling.
PowerChina served as the principal solar contractor for SunCentral 1, taking the project through construction and commissioning into commercial operation. The company says that the partnership remains a driving force behind the project’s success. They added that, through the continued joint efforts of both parties, SunCentral 1 successfully achieved COD, marking a promising start to the partnership. Both parties look forward to continued collaboration to support the smooth delivery of future phases and to contribute to local economic and social development.
“Getting a project of this scale to commercial operation requires many moving parts to come together,” says Fana Tlhalepe, Chief Delivery Officer at SolarAfrica. “We worked closely with PowerChina and other partners such as Proconics NewFields, Eskom, NTCSA and DNV throughout construction, testing and commissioning to resolve issues as they arose and keep the programme moving.”
Tlhalepe added that PowerChina’s utility-scale solar track record and technical capability, paired with SolarAfrica’s in-house expertise and project development experience, were central to delivering a project of this size and complexity.
SunCentral has also created employment and development opportunities in the surrounding communities. To date, 655 local community members have been employed through the project, while 80 SMMEs from De Aar and Hanover are participating in a training programme. Community initiatives have included support for local schools and the donation of 60 wheelchairs across five facilities.
The scale of the development is also reflected in the 548,856 Tier-1 solar panels installed at SunCentral 1.
With SunCentral 1 now operational, Tlhalepe says that work on the remainder of the development will continue. SunCentral 2 is in the later stages of construction, while construction on SunCentral 3 is expected to begin shortly. The three facilities will make up the 342 MW first phase of SunCentral.
“Reaching COD on SunCentral 1 gives us a solid foundation for what comes next. Our focus now is on bringing the remaining capacity in Phase 1 online as we continue to build towards the longer-term 1 GW vision. SolarAfrica remains committed to giving businesses greater choice in how they procure their energy, with access to cleaner power that can help them manage costs while building greater certainty into their long-term energy strategy,” concludes McDonald.