Blue Energy Africa, a South African-based developer and operator of clean energy infrastructure, has entered into a 20-year agreement with Borbet SA, a producer of alloy wheels for the automotive industry, to procure power from renewable energy. Reducing the manufacturer’s environmental impact, this also ensures energy savings and minimises potential losses during electricity outages.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage energy system solution at Borbet SA’s production facility in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape is state-of-the-art, comprising more than 5 MWp of solar PV panels installed on rooftops, carports and final product storage areas, integrated with a 4 MWh battery energy storage system and a generator for ultimate operational resilience. This enables peak power generation capacity of 5 350 kWp, with 4 000 kWh additional battery energy storage, while generating over 7 000 000 kWh per year and reducing carbon emissions by 6 000 tons per year.

The first phase of this project will reduce Borbet SA’s reliance on Eskom-generated electricity by 8%, ensuring continuous business operation and productivity, says Brenton van Vuuren, Managing Director of Borbet SA.

Jan van Ravenswaay, Chief Technical and Operations Officer of Blue Energy Africa, adds: “The biggest win is the system’s ability to safely shut down operations during high levels of load shedding or power outage, which will decrease the scrapping of final products produced, ensuring continuity and minimising losses.”