Independent power producer SolarAfrica has secured R1.5 billion in funding to build SunCentral 2, the next 114MW plant of its utility-scale solar development in the Northern Cape.
SunCentral is a large-scale solar photovoltaic plant located between Hanover and De Aar in the Northern Cape. The project will be developed in three phases.
According to the company, the new SunCentral 2 funding will follow SunCentral 1, which reached financial close at the end of 2024, also at 114MW.
Together with SunCentral 3, the projects will total 342MW. At full scale, SunCentral is planned to reach 1GW, positioning it as one of the country’s largest solar initiatives designed specifically for one-to-many, bilateral wheeling.
David McDonald, CEO at SolarAfrica, says: “Businesses want power they can trust – clean, affordable and predictable – and SunCentral is being built exactly for that purpose. It’s encouraging to see the confidence from our funding partners as we move into the next stage of delivery.
“More than a big solar project, SunCentral is a long-term infrastructure investment that gives companies the ability to manage their costs, cut emissions, and reduce their reliance on utility power that is often vulnerable to unpredictable tariff hikes. This next step gets us closer to bringing that value to even more South African businesses.”
SolarAfrica is part of the greater Starsight Energy Africa Group. It is backed by investors African Infrastructure Investment Managers and Helios Investment Partners.
The statement says SunCentral is also a key pillar of SolarAfrica’s overall wheeling pipeline – totalling 3GW – which is currently under development across the country.
It also notes that a portion of funding from each SunCentral plant is allocated directly to the development of the project’s Main Transmission Substation.
“With wheeling, we have a model that puts control back into the hands of commercial and industrial customers. Instead of just surviving tariff hikes, it allows companies to plan for growth with a cleaner, more dependable energy mix,” says McDonald.
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