In Doornhoek, South Africa, AMEA Power is awarded a photovoltaic project following a tender process.
A 20-year plan
In Doornhoek, AMEA Power has been awarded a 120MW photovoltaic project. This award is part of the sixth round of bidding for the Renewable Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (RIPPP). The park will supply the utility Eskom under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
AMEA Power is the majority shareholder of the $120 million Doornhoek project. The company is partnering with Ziyanda Energy and Dzimuzwo Consulting. Hussain Al Nowais, President of AMEA Power, states:
“The award of this project represents another major milestone for AMEA Power as it is our first in South Africa and was awarded in competition with other major renewable energy players. Over the next decade, the country will undergo a massive transition in its approach to power generation as the grid decommissions large amounts of coal generation and shifts to cleaner alternatives such as wind and solar. AMEA Power aims to bring many more clean energy projects to the grid to help close the energy gap and provide clean, affordable energy to the country over the long term. Clean energy solutions present huge opportunities for investment, job creation and social development throughout South Africa. As AMEA Power expands its clean energy footprint across the continent, South Africa will be a major market for the company and an opportunity to work with local partners to develop projects across the country.”
The Doornhoek solar project is located near the town of Klerksdorp in the North West Province. It will generate over 325GWh of clean energy per year. It will allow to supply 25,000 homes and avoid the emission of 290,000 tons of CO2 per year.
A local project
Construction of the Doornhoek photovoltaic project will start by mid-2023. In addition, the work will use more than 45% locally sourced materials and resources. In addition, the project will support the increase of South Africa’s share of renewable energy.
The country aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix from 11% to 41% by 2030. South Africa plans to decommission between 8GW and 12GW of coal-fired power plants. This ambition should become a reality in the next decade.
AMEA Power seeks to secure an additional 1GW of renewable energy projects in South Africa. Thus, the company announces that it could make an offer in future REIPPP programs. In addition, the company has a clean energy pipeline of over 6GW in 16 countries.
