Page 14 - AfrElec Week 40 2022

AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec

Voltalia to build 148 MW solar

plant at Richards Bay

SOUTH AFRICA RICHARDS Bay Minerals (RBM), a unit of to source goods and services locally in support of
Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, will South Africa’s growing renewable energy sector
be the power off-taker of a 148MW solar plant value chain.
constructed by France’s renewable energy firm With the power deliveries from the Bolobedu
Voltalia in South Africa’s Limpopo province, photovoltaic (PV) solar plant, RBM will offset
Renewables Now reports. 237,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
The corporate power purchase agreement annually from its operations, thus lowering its
(PPA) will enable South Africa’s largest mineral Scope 1 and 2 emissions by at least 10% per year,
sands producer to source around 300 GWh of writes Renewables Now.
power annually through a wheeling arrange- “The agreement, which is a first step towards
ment for its smelting and processing facilities in reducing RBM’s carbon emissions, is a major
KwaZulu-Natal. milestone and one that is in line with Rio Tinto’s
The contract for the largest renewable energy decarbonization strategy,” said Rio Tinto Miner-
site dedicated to a corporate client in South als chief executive Sinead Kaufman.
Africa was signed for a period of 20 years, Volta- “As this solar energy project progresses, we
lia said in a press release on October 6. will continue exploring additional renewable
The electricity will be generated by a 148MW solutions that further reduce of our emissions in
solar plant to be built in the Limpopo prov- South Africa and make Richards Bay Minerals a
ince in north-eastern South Africa at Voltalia’s contributor to our net zero commitment.”
Bolobedu site. Voltalia will ensure the develop- The Bolobedu PV plant will be Voltalia’s big-
ment, construction and operation of the plant. gest project in Africa, after construction of other
It is expected to start production in 2024, the solar plants in Zimbabwe, Burundi, Tanzania,
company said. Kenya, Mauritania and Egypt, according to
According to Voltalia, the plant will generate Voltalia CEO Sébastien Clerc.
green electricity for a volume equivalent to the “This project is the first of our South African
annual electricity consumption of more than 425 large solar-and-wind portfolio under devel-
000 inhabitants. opment, in areas with grid connection availa-
The French company says a total workforce ble, that will be ready to support our clients to
of more than 700 people is expected during con- overpass the actual energy crisis with affordable,
struction, shrinking to around 50 people once clean and stable electricity,” said Clerc.™
the plant becomes operational. Voltalia will work

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 40 06•October•2022