A consortium formed by German renewable energy developer Juwi and Johannesburg-based renewables developer Sturdee Energy has been selected by South Africa-based mining company Sedibelo Platinum Mines Limited (SPM) for the deployment of 75MW of hybrid wind-solar capacity to support its mining operations.
“The parties have signed a memorandum of understanding and will now commence negotiations towards a power purchase agreement,” SPM said in a statement. “Sturdee Energy will act as a joint developer and independent power producer in these projects.”
The planned capacity is split into a 40MW wind-solar project aimed at powering two separate sites, one in Limpopo and one in the Western Cape; and a 35MW solar park to power operations of the Pilanesberg Platinum Mine, which is situated about 60km northwest of Rustenburg, in South Africa's North West province.
The first of the two projects is scheduled to start commercial operations in 2024 and the second in 2026.
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“When President Ramaphosa announced that companies would be able to generate their own renewable power up to 100MW, he unleashed tremendous opportunities which are impacting positively on the environment, on business, and on the economy, while also taking
pressure off the grid,” said Sedibelo chief environmental, social, and governance officer Lael Bethlehem, referring to the South African government's recent decision of raising the threshold for distributed generation to 100 MW.
Through these provisions, renewable energy developers are exempted from applying for a license but they will be required to register with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). The measure is aimed to reduce dependence on its state-owned utility, Eskom, for power supply. The troubled utility, which is currently unable to meet the country's power demand due to financial and operational issues, recently began considering renewables for its plant portfolio.
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