Solar energy hub to ease power shortages in South Africa

Scatec, a Norwegian producer of renewable energy solutions, has made a final investment decision (FID) for three solar plus storage projects in the Northern Cape, allowing construction to begin.

The 10km-wide project will be completed within 15 months, costing 16.4 billion rands ($958 million). According to the company, once completed, the energy hub will have 540 megawatts (MW) of total solar capacity, 225MW/1.1GWh of battery storage capacity and 150MW of dispatchable power.

A portion of the energy will be used to alleviate the strain on the national grid as part of a project touted by Scatec as a "significant contribution to South Africa's economy and green energy sector." Scatec intends to demonstrate the ability of renewable energy to provide steady power to the national grid while sourcing local resources.