Voltalia has signed a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) with Richards Bay Minerals, a South African mining company.
A 148MW solar power plant
Voltalia announces that this is the largest renewable energy site dedicated to a client company in South Africa. 300GW of renewable energy will flow through RBM’s melting and processing facilities. These facilities are located in KwaZulu-Natal, a province in South Africa.
With this contract, RBM will reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10%. They represent 237,000 tons per year, which is equivalent to taking more than 50,000 cars off the road. The contract is for a period of 20 years.
The electricity will come from the Bolobedu site, a 148MW solar power plant to be built in Limpopo province. Sébastien Clerc, Voltalia’s CEO states:
“We are very pleased to support RBM in decarbonizing its industrial operations in South Africa. The Bolobedu PV plant will be our largest project in Africa.”
The solar power plant will produce green electricity for approximately 425,000 residents and will begin production in 2024.
A continent-wide presence
Voltalia assures that the solar project will have a positive impact on the environment by creating local employment opportunities. Thus, 700 people will participate in the construction of the solar power plant. Finally, 50 people will be responsible for maintenance once the project is operational.
For Voltalia, this is the largest project in Africa. Thus, the company has experience in construction for other customers on the continent, including Zimbabwe, Burundi, Tanzania or Kenya. These projects intervene to help customers overcome the energy crisis with affordable and clean electricity.
The group is an international player in the renewable energy sector. Voltalia has a production and operating capacity of over 2.4GW. Finally, the company manages a portfolio of projects under development with a total capacity of 13.6GW.
