The innovative Oya Energy Hybrid Project reached financial close on Tuesday, 13 February 2024. The project will be jointly owned and operated by ENGIE (35%), G7 Renewable Energies (20%), Meadows Energy (22,5%) and Perpetua Investment Holdings, (22,5%) and is one of the 11 preferred bidders nominated in South Africa’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
The Oya Energy Hybrid Project, a project in SA’s RMIPPP Programme, reached financial close in mid February 2024.
In 2023, Oya Energy signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Eskom and an Implementation Agreement with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in South Africa. Once operational, the Oya Energy Hybrid Project will provide essential dispatchable energy to the South African grid.
The Oya Energy Hybrid Project stands as a pioneering example of sustainable energy innovation. It combines 155 MW of solar PV power, 86 MW of wind power, and a 92 MW / 242 MWh battery energy storage, within a single location. The development spans the border between the Western and Northern Cape Provinces, between the towns of Ceres and Sutherland.
Core to the project are co-located wind turbines, solar PV arrays, lithium-ion batteries, and a cutting-edge hybrid controller. This integrated system will efficiently orchestrate all three technologies, to provide dispatchable power to the grid as and when needed. The Oya Energy Hybrid Project is the largest hybrid energy project of its kind in Africa, and it is unique globally in terms of its technology mix, size, and cost-effectiveness. Its strategic location takes advantage of abundant natural resources and proximity to the grid connection point, complemented by advanced battery storage capabilities.
Mohamed Hoosen, ENGIE Managing Director Renewables AMEA & South Africa Country Manager, said: “The Oya Hybrid Project is an innovative first-of-its-kind power solution, and ENGIE is pleased to partner with G7 Renewable Energies to build, own and operate this facility in South Africa. The project is a testament to ENGIE’s commitment to the long-term low-carbon energy security of South Africa.”
Dr Kilian Hagemann, CEO of G7, said: "This is a momentous milestone for G7 and its partners in the Oya Project. We are proud of our team and grateful for the support of our partners. As the original developer of Oya since 2015, G7 led the visionary complex hybrid technical modelling, supplementing the originally planned stand-alone wind farm with optimally sized battery storage and photovoltaic energy generation to deliver this first-of-its-kind project. The Oya Hybrid Energy Project demonstrates our expertise and ability to develop complex and efficient hybrid renewable energy projects in South Africa. We look forward to the completion of this state-of-the-art project.”
Romaya Dorasamy, Managing Director at Meadows Energy said: “We are thrilled to announce the success of the Oya Project's financial close. This milestone is a remarkable achievement for Meadows Energy and a significant step towards a sustainable and innovative energy future. The Oya Project is not just a power generation initiative, but a testament to our collective capability to create meaningful change."
Perpetua Holdings director, Logan Govender added: “We have forged a true sense of collaboration with our partners on the Oya Project and we are excited by the innovative and high-impact contribution that we are collectively confident it will deliver as part of South Africa’s energy transition.”
Dr Hagemann highlighted: “This project represents the blueprint of a carbon-neutral, 100% renewable future power grid – dominated by solar PV, supplemented by large amounts of wind power and storage capacity to balance surpluses and shortfalls – and provide the power our economy needs without resorting to fossil fuels. This project demonstrates that renewables can provide baseload power.”
The project will deliver clean power to about 180 000 South African homes. It will accelerate the country’s transition to renewable power generation and reduce CO2 emissions by about 573 105 tonnes annually, the equivalent of 72 680 cars on the road. The project falls within the Komsberg Renewable Energy Development Zone (REDZ)
For more information visit: www.engie.com or www.g7energies.com
