The Tom Burke solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant which is constructed on the site that is declared a National Key Point in Limpopo Province is applauded by its developers Enel Green Power South Africa.
The project marks the IPPs’ first large-scale solar project and first thin film photovoltaic (PV) panels in the country, according to a statement made by the company.
In August 2016, the power plant, with an installed capacity of 66MW, reached an early generation and commercial operation.
The location of the solar plant is a National Key Point. It was declared a Key Point by the South Africa’s National Key Point Act (1980).
Furthermore, it has a strategic importance of feeding 122GWh per year into the national grid. It will also provide nine villages in the Lephalale region with electricity supply.
Cleaning of the solar panels is done twice a year to maximize output. William Price, the Country manager in South Africa, said that South Africa is a resource-rich country. “We are also proud to provide an increasingly integrated offering and a strong renewable energy generation base.”
He further added, “We firmly believe that we can improve electrification in Southern Africa by taking advantage of renewable energies. Additionally, to bridge the gap between supply and demand for energy we will incorporate current and available technologies.”
