A 72,5 MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, designed to accommodate continuing ground settlement, will be built on about 100 ha of rehabilitated mining land at Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen mine.
The project reached financial close last week.
Developer Envusa Energy describes the development as South Africa’s first embedded PV project to be built on a rehabilitated mine waste rock dump within an operating mine.
The Sishen Solar PV project will have an installed DC capacity of 72,5 MWp and an AC export capacity of 63 MW. It will occupy approximately 100 ha on the rehabilitated G80 waste rock dump, which Envusa describes as about 20 storeys high.
The plant will use fixed-tilt PV mounting structures fitted with adjustable legs to accommodate movement as the dump continues to settle. The project will also incorporate what the developer describes as a “mobile adjustable substation”.
“This innovative design allows for precise modifications, ensuring optimal alignment and stability even as the dump settles or shifts over time,” says Envusa Energy CEO Nicole Mason.
The plant is expected to generate approximately 150 GWh of electricity a year. All the electricity produced will be sold to Sishen mine with Envusa acting as the electricity trader.
Envusa estimates that replacing electricity drawn from the Eskom network with the plant’s generation will reduce the mine’s carbon dioxide emissions by about 140 000 tonnes a year.
The project is owned by Envusa and the Sishen Iron Ore Company-Community Development Trust, which will hold a 10% interest. Envusa is a joint venture between Anglo American and EDF Power Solutions.
According to Envusa Energy, Sishen is the first embedded renewable energy project in its development programme to reach financial close. The company says it previously delivered the 520 MW Koruson 2 renewable energy cluster in the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.
