Two utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants awarded under Bid Window 5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme have reached commercial operation, adding 150 MW of generation capacity to the national grid.
The Grootspruit solar PV plant in the Free State and the Graspan solar PV plant in the Northern Cape have both achieved commercial operation date, transitioning from construction into full electricity generation.
Each facility has capacity of 75 MW AC and was constructed over approximately 18 months, including full balance-of-plant engineering and construction works.
The projects were developed for ENGIE and Pele Green Energy and delivered under a sub-engineering, procurement and construction model with Aurex Constructors responsible for plant design and construction. The developers supplied key equipment such as solar modules and inverters.
The Grootspruit project marks a shift in geographic deployment of utility-scale solar with development extending into the Free State. According to the project team, this follows a concentration of earlier projects in the Northern Cape and reflects changes in available grid capacity.
“Grootspruit is the first large-scale solar project we have executed outside of the Northern Cape since we entered the renewable energy sector,” said Delvin Bühler, Chief Operations Officer at Aurex Constructors.
Together the two plants are expected to supply electricity to approximately 80 000 households and reduce carbon emissions by around 100 000 t of CO₂ annually.
