The first-North West solar energy farm, which is also the first renewable energy project in the province, was launched by premier Thandi Modise this morning.
According to spokesperson Lesiba Kgwele, the project will supply power to the Eskom grid and produce 250 000MW of energy over the next 20 years. The development of the RustMo1 Solar Farm seven-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation facility was awarded to local company Momentous Energy.
The farm is situated at Buffelspoort, about 22km outside Rustenburg.
Kgwele says the project includes the installation of 11 inverters and 29 808 PV solar modules, with a step up transformer to connect to the 88kV substation.
In a statement released yesterday, Modise is quoted as saying the launch of the solar farm demonstrates how progress is being made in removing barriers towards the uptake of renewable energy technologies through the creation of strategic, financial, technical and other enabling environments.
"We appreciate that the Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (IPPPP), launched by minister Dipuo Peters' department [of energy] in 2011, to stimulate the renewable energy industry across the country, also holds substantial potential for the province," said Modise.
She continued by saying solar energy is a solution that will not only provide an answer to alternate energy sources, but is also an innovation that provides sustainable social and economic value.
Kgwele says the RustMo1 Solar Farm is the first of 15 projects being developed in the province under the IPPPP. He was unable to speculate when the others are expected to be launched, but said the projects range from 5MW to 340MW and are at various stages of the bidding and planning processes.
The projects are earmarked for Brits, Christiana, Taung, Rustenburg, Vryburg, Mahikeng, Tswaing and Orkney.
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