The 2 solar projects are 126MWp and 130MWp each in size, located in South Africa’s North West Province. Both projects are developed and will be operated by SOLA Group and its partners.
Construction started in October 2022, and commercial operation is planned for the 1st quarter of 2024.
These 2 solar power projects cover an area of approximately 430ha. Once in operation, it is estimated they will generate approximately 580GWh of clean, renewable electricity every year. This is equivalent to powering 40,000 households and reducing 595 tons CO2 emissions each year.
Canadian Solar subsidiary CSI Solar Co Ltd signed the 256MW solar module contract with SOLA Group, a Cape Town-based independent power producer.
The solar panel manufacturer will deliver a total of 390,073 BiHiKu7 modules. The BiHiKu7 CS7N-MB-AG are bifacial modules based on 210mm wafers and have a power output of up to 670W and an efficiency of up to 21.6%. These are a perfect fit for utility-scale projects, with reduced BoS (Balance of System) and LCOE (Levelised Cost of Energy) costs compared to modules with smaller wafer size. The modules are also compatible with most inverters and trackers.
Dom Wills, CEO of SOLA Group commented: “These are the 1st solar projects of this scale in South Africa that are based on private power purchase agreements. It’s also a great plus for the country that these projects are 100% South African-owned, financed, constructed, operated and managed. We hope the model of private power through bilateral agreements becomes more widely adopted. The benefits to the end user are competition, choice and ultimately a more diverse contribution to the power system.”
Dr Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar commented: “This is a great achievement and an important step in South Africa’s plan to allow more flexible electricity trading by opening up the grid.”
