- BTE Renewables announces the acquisition of Sonnedix solar South Africa.
- The system is spread out over 125 hectares of farmland.
- BTE now has a majority stake in the Prieska solar PV plant.
The energy situation in South Africa is changing. Sonnedix Solar South Africa, the local subsidiary of Sonnedix, a London, UK-based independent electricity producer, has been acquired by BTE Renewables (IPP). Sonnedix is one of the firms engaging in the ambitious Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in South Africa (REIPPP).
Sonnedix has collaborated with South African IPP Mulilo Renewable Energy to form Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska PV as part of REIPPP. This impromptu firm developed the Prieska solar plant in the Northern Cape.
The system is spread out over 125 hectares of farmland. Since the solar project was commissioned in 2016, the power produced (75 MWp) in Prieska has been fed into the Eskom grid.
BTE now owns a 60 per cent share in the Prieska solar PV facility after acquiring Sonnedix Solar South Africa. Mulilo Energy Holdings (20%), Ixowave (15%), and Prieska PV Community Trust (20%) own the remaining shares (5%). “This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to growing our portfolio of renewable energy assets, as it complements our organic growth from our strong development pipeline. In addition, the Prieska project is a natural fit with our two solar PV plants in the same region of South Africa,” says Robert Skjodt, BTE’s managing director.
The enterprise, which is owned entirely by the British investment firm Actis, now has a capacity of 473 MW installed. The Kipeto wind farm, commissioned in 2021 in the foothills of the Ngong Hills in Kajiado County, some 30 kilometres southwest of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, is one of the company’s six operational projects. The 120 MW Golden Valley and 32.5 MW Excelsior wind farms are also operated by BET.