South Africa: CSI Solar sells modules

CSI Solar Co announced the contracting of 256 MW of solar modules by SOLA Group, a Cape Town-based power producer.

Two major projects

Canadian Solar Group’s subsidiary, signs a 256 MW sales contract to power South Africa’s two largest solar power projects. The SOLA Group operates these projects with a capacity of 126 MWp and 130 MWp each. Their construction in the North-Western province of South Africa started 2 months ago and will be completed in the first quarter of 2024.

These projects cover an area of approximately 430 hectares. Together, they will produce more than 580 GWH of renewable electricity each year to power 40,000 homes. CSI Solar’s modules are an achievement for the climate, as on average the country’s CO2 emissions will be reduced by 595 tons per year.

The CEO of SOLA Group, announced:

“These are the first solar projects of this scale in South Africa that rely on private power purchase agreements. The fact that these projects are 100% South African owned, financed, constructed, operated and managed is also a plus for the country. We hope that the model of private power through bilateral agreements will be more widely adopted. The benefits to the end user are competition, choice and ultimately a more diverse contribution to the electricity system.

A unique technology

The projects will use a total of 390,073 BiHiKu7 modules. These are very powerful modules since they can generate up to 670 W and offer an efficiency of up to 21.6%. These bifacial modules are also based on 210 mm wafers, which makes them larger than average.

These features make them adaptable to any type of public utility project. They can be used with most inverters and trackers. Finally, their size allows for an increased reduction in BoS (Balance of System) and LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) costs.

The president and CEO of Canadian Solar says he is “pleased” to be working with SOLA on projects that are so critical to opening up the South African grid to more “flexible” electricity trading. The BiHiKu7 modular technology guarantees the quality and reliability of the company’s products.

This competitive price/performance ratio will undoubtedly allow the South African energy sector to provide additional support for renewable energy. In any case, SOLA seems determined to transform the entire continent with clean energy.