Page 13 - AfrElec Week 12 2022
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AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
Tronox signs 200-MW solar PPA
with South Africa’s SOLA Group
SOUTH AFRICA TRONOX Holdings, a New-York-listed tita- of 2025; and committing to being fully aligned
nium dioxide pigment manufacturer, has signed to both Task Force on Climate-Related Finan-
a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) cial Disclosures and Sustainability Accounting
with South African independent power pro- Standards Board reporting for 2021,” Zona said.
ducer (IPP) SOLA Group to provide 200 MW Tronox is moving away from coal to renewa-
of solar power to Tronox’s mines and smelters bles at its sites in South Africa by implementing
in South Africa. innovative technologies and best practices at its
Tronox’s KZN Sands minerals sands opera- operating sites. It is also investing in research and
tion in South Africa consists of the Fairbreeze development to improve its feedstock upgrading
mine, near Richards Bay, and the Central Pro- and TiO2 production technologies.
cessing Complex, in Empangeni. Tronox said it wanted to become a role model
Tronox said in a statement that it anticipated for ESG in the mining and chemical sector.
the project should be fully implemented by the SOLA Group co-founder and director Chris
fourth quarter of 2023. Haw said the IPP was delighted that large-scale
The deal is SOLA’s first large-scale utility pro- energy consumers like Tronox are making use of
ject for a private consumer. the opportunity to convert to clean and cost-ef-
The contract forms part of the company’s fective energy.
efforts to meet its publicly announced goal of “These types of projects are the fastest way to
aligning with a global warming scenario below bring new generation capacity online and not
2° C and to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by only contribute to closing the electricity sup-
2050. ply gap in our country, but also supporting the
“Tronox’s renewable energy project with much-needed transition to clean energy and
SOLA Group will reduce our global carbon the modernisation of our electricity grid,” Haw
emissions by approximately 13% compared to added.
our 2019 baseline and has the full support of Tronox is a major producer of titanium diox-
our board of directors and senior management,” ide pigment, specialty-grade titanium dioxide
commented Melissa Zona, Tronox Holdings products and high-purity titanium chemicals,
plc’s senior vice-president, external affairs and as well as zircon.
chief sustainability officer. SOLA Group is a 100% South African IPP
“In the past 18 months, we have taken a num- that has since 2008 developed large commer-
ber of significant steps that demonstrate this cial solar projects, both on- and off-grid, the
leadership: restructuring our board to desig- first electricity wheeling projects and now with
nate a committee with specific responsibility for Tronox, the first large-scale utility projects for
oversight of environmental, social and govern- private consumers.
ance [ESG]; including annual carbon emission It operates 330 MW of solar projects and has
reduction targets in our executive compensation developed and been awarded over 1,082 MW of
plan; publicly announcing a detailed roadmap solar assets. SOLA is currently implementing
for reducing emissions, including a target to over 1 GW of awarded independent power pro-
reduce emissions by 15% by the fourth quarter jects for private energy consumers.
Week 12 24•March•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13
