Commercial electricity supply from the 50 MW Ilikwa solar photovoltaic (PV) facility near Parys in the Free State has begun under shorter-term power purchase agreements with several commercial and industrial customers.
“The Ilikwa PV facility, one of the first multiple-customer offtake projects in the market, demonstrates what can be achieved when experienced partners work together towards a common goal,” said Hein Reyneke, General Manager of Mainstream South Africa.
More than 101 000 PV modules are expected to generate over 140 GWh of electricity a year, according to Mainstream. The facility’s installed DC capacity, inverter configuration, grid connection capacity and expected capacity factor were not provided.
The project is expected to avoid approximately 100 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually although the calculation methodology and emissions factor used for the estimate were not disclosed.
Construction started in October 2024 and was completed over 21 months. More than 2 600 people were employed at the peak of construction. Most were recruited from the nearby communities of Tumahole, Schonkenville and Vredefort, according to the project company.
Mainstream developed the facility and holds a 70% interest in the project. Investec owns the remaining 30% and provided funding.
“We are proud of this milestone and to be contributing to South Africa’s energy security and our customers’ decarbonisation objectives,” said Martin Meyer, Head of Energy and Infrastructure Finance at Investec.
