EDF Renewables (South Africa), a subsidiary of the international company EDF Renewables, was one of the Preferred Bidders announced for Bid Window 5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPPP) in which it was awarded three wind energy projects.
To date this year, EDF Renewables has won almost 800 MW of projects in SA. This is in line with the EDF Group's CAP 2030 strategy through which it aims to grow its net renewable energy generation capacity to some 60 GW by 2030.
Waainek wind farm is located inland from Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea in the Eastern Cape.
The consortium consisting of EDF Renewables in South Africa and its local partners, H1 holdings and Gibb-Crede, was selected as a Preferred Bidder for its Coleskop, San Kraal and Phezukomoya projects, each with an installed capacity of 140 MW. The projects are located in the Umsobomvu Local Municipality, on the border between the Eastern and Northern Cape. These three wind farms will produce clean electricity to help meet the needs of about 420 000 people.
The REI4P calls for financial close on BW5 projects within six months of the Preferred Bidders being announced, and EDF plans to commission its projects within two years following that.
Earlier this year, EDF Renewables (South Africa) won two other projects. In September, the company and its partner Pele Green Energy were selected for a first-of-its kind corporate solar photovoltaic project, winning the tender from mining company Anglo American Platinum. Through this corporate purchase power agreement, the consortium will build and operate a 100 MW power plant at the Mogalakwena platinum mine in Limpopo. The electricity produced by the solar PV plant to power the mine will replace the high-carbon grid electricity currently used.
In March this year, EDF Renewables (South Africa) and consortium partner Perpetua Holding, won the Umoyilanga project in government’s Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme (RMI4P). This innovative project will work as a virtual power plant, combining solar, wind and battery storage technologies to offer 75 MW of dispatchable power to the national grid. It includes a 77 MW wind farm on the coast in the south of the country, and a 138 MW solar power plant in the Northern Cape, which benefits from the country highest solar irradiation levels. Both power plants will be equipped with battery storage systems totalling 75 MW of power. The electricity produced by this virtual hybrid power plant will help meet the electricity needs of about 124 000 people.
EDF Renewables (South Africa) currently operates four wind farms in the country with a total installed capacity of 144 MW. These include the Chaba, Grassridge, Waainek and (most recently commissioned in August 2021) Wesley wind farms, all in the Eastern Cape.
Tristan de Drouas, Director of EDF Renewables in South Africa, said: “We are pleased to have expanded our project portfolio significantly in the past 12 months. This is the result of the intense efforts of the local EDF Renewables team, which has been operating in the country for 13 years. These projects demonstrate our ability to create innovative solutions adapted to specific local expectations of government and industrial players. They can be launched within a relatively short timeframe and meet South Africa's objectives of developing low-carbon energy. They will also contribute to strengthening the reliability of the electricity grid.”
For more information visit: www.edf-re.co.za
