Nine PV projects due to close as part of REIPPP round 2

South Africa’s renewable energy independent power producer programme (REIPPP) is due to see nine second round solar energy projects achieve financial closure on about May 9th 2013.

The first round projects achieved financial closure in October 2012 and this is seeing 18 grid connected photovoltaic (PV) projects under development, ranging from 5.0 MW to 75 MW. These projects totalling 632 MW of PV grid tied capacity are:

• SlimSun Swartland Solar Park of 5.0 MW in Swartland, Western Cape.
• The RustMo1 Solar Farm of 6.8 MW in the North-West province.
• Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV project of 9.7 MW at De Aar, Northern Cape.
• Konkoonsies Solar project of 9.7 MW at Pofadder in the Northern Cape.
• Aries Solar project of 9.7 MW at Kenhardt, Northern Cape.
• The Greefspan PV Power Plant of 10 MW at Douglas, Northern Cape.
• The Herbert PV Power Plant of 19.9 MW at Douglas, Northern Cape.
• Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV project of 19.9 MW at Prieska, Northern Cape.
• The Soutpan Solar Park of 28 MW in the Waterberg, Limpopo province.
• Witkop Solar Park Core Energy project of 30 MW in the Waterberg, Limpopo.
• The Touwsrivier project of 36 MW at Touwsrivier, Western Cape.
• The De Aar Solar PV project of 48.3 MW at Pixley Ka seme, Northern Cape.
• Mainstream Drogfontein project of 48.3 MW at Kimberley, Northern Cape.
• Letsatsi power project of 64 MW at Bloemfontein, Free State.
• The Lesedi power project of 64 MW at Postmasburg, Northern Cape.
• The Kalkbult project of 72.5 MW at Kalbult, North-West Province.
• The Kathu solar energy facility of  75 MW at Kathu, Northern Cape.
• The Solar Capital De Aar project of 75 MW at De Aar, Northern Cape.

The nine second round PV projects totalling 417 MW due to achieve financial closure are:

• The Solar Capital De Aar 3 project of 75 MW at De Aar, Northern Cape.
• The Sishen solar facility of 74 MW at Dibeng/Deben, Northern Cape.
• The Aurora solar park of 9.0 MW at Aurora, Western Cape.
• The Vredendal solar park of 8.8 MW at Vredendal, Western Cape.
• The Linde project of 36.8 MW at De Aar, Northern Cape.
• The Dreunberg project of 69.6 MW at Dreunberg, Eastern Cape.
• The Jasper PV project of 75 MW at Postmasburg, Northern Cape.
• The Boshoff solar park of 60 MW at Boshof, Free State.
• The Upington solar PV project of 8.9 MW at Upington, Northern Cape.

The bid submission date for the third round of REIPPP projects is scheduled for August 2013, though there are indications this date will be pushed out.

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