- Mainstream Renewable Power has signed agreement with Eskom to build and operate renewable energy plants in South Africa.
- Eskom’s goal is to ramp up renewable energy contribution to the national grid.
Mainstream Renewable Power has signed a lease with South African national electricity company, Eskom to build and operate renewable energy plants in South Africa. The about 1650-hectare land for the project is next to the Majuba and Tutuka coal-fired power stations in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.
Eskom’s goal is to make land available and close to existing power stations with sufficient grid capacity to ramp up renewable energy contribution to the national grid. The parcels of land approved have been thoroughly screened to ensure accessibility, and environmental conservation and also to avoid areas with high risk. The agreement with Mainstream is one of four similar agreements signed by Eskom that will contribute hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy to the national grid and is expected to be valid for the next 25-30 years.
Mainstream will conduct comprehensive feasibility studies to determine generation capacity and which technologies will be implemented – wind, solar, and battery storage. Hein Reyneke, Mainstream General Manager for Africa said: “As one of the most established and successful renewable energy companies in South Africa, Mainstream is proud to support Eskom in its initiative to expedite the connection of large quantities of much-needed clean, affordable power to the grid as part of the just transition to renewable energy. We look forward to delivering renewable power at scale at this site and, in doing so, help to industrialise the renewable energy sector in South Africa bringing thousands of much-needed jobs and long-term benefits to the surrounding communities”.