Leading South Africa-based manufacturer and supplier of electro-mechanical equipment in Southern Africa, ACTOM High Voltage Equipment, has secured a contract to supply and deliver high voltage equipment for the Selebi-Phikwe solar photovoltaic power plant, currently under construction in Botswana.
The 120 MW solar PV facility is being developed by the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) and project owner, SCATEC, the Norwegian company that specialises in renewable energy systems.
Casbah Zwane, Divisional Chief Executive Officer at ACTOM High Voltage Equipment, says the company responded to a request for proposals last year and signed the contract in late November for supply of equipment for Phase 1 of the project, which will see the first 60 MW of solar power capacity installed at the plant.
“The scope of our contract is to supply and deliver the full range of 220 kV high voltage equipment for the grid connection of the project, where power generated by the solar farm will be stepped up and fed into BPC’s electricity network,” he says.
Once completed, the solar plant is expected to supply enough clean energy to power 20 000 households and to offset 48 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. This is an important step in Botswana’s green energy transition.
International technology partners
Zwane says ACTOM High Voltage Equipment will be sourcing the equipment from its technology partners in Spain, India, and China, as the equipment required is not manufactured locally. He adds that the manufacturing of the components has already started and delivery to the project is expected by the end of September 2024.
“Relying on our global technology partners, we have shown that we can diversify our supply chain to meet the demands of the current energy environment. We have the capacity to deliver, via a diverse supply chain network and manufacturing options, as we are not limited to our factories in South Africa,” he says.
Zwane notes that one of ACTOM High Voltage Equipment’s main differentiating advantages, which helped it secure the contract, is that it can supply the components needed within the project’s tight timeframes. “That really gave us the competitive lead over competing proposals and was a more important differentiator than pricing. We have demonstrated that if the demand requires it, we can leverage the factories that are part of our global network, to meet project requirements and timelines,” he says.
Looking to Phase 2
After the completion of the first phase, ACTOM is aiming to secure a similar contract for the second phase of the project, which will see the installation of the additional 60 MW capacity at the solar PV plant.
ACTOM High Voltage Equipment is well established as a South African company and, in line with the ACTOM group’s growth strategy, it is looking to extend its reach outside South Africa and beyond Southern Africa. Zwane highlights: “Becoming part of SCATEC’s supply chain gives us access to opportunities beyond South Africa’s borders and on the African continent, given SCATEC’s significant footprint.”
Although there is no formal aftersales or operation & maintenance contract in place with BPC, Zwane says ACTOM High Voltage Equipment is geared to assist the power generation, transmission and distribution utility with maintenance, repair and replacement of the equipment supplied to the project, should it be called on to do so.
“We have the capacity to support the end customer, in this case BPC, with aftersales services, including maintenance of equipment for the life of the plant,” Zwane says.
For more information visit: www.actom.co.za
