- Scatec projects that the installed solar PV capacity in South Africa will surpass coal by 2027.
- The Northern Cape’s Kenhardt region’s trio projects have a cumulative capacity of 540 MW solar and 1,140 MWh battery storage.
Scatec, a renewable energy firm, says solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity will grow significantly in South Africa this year. The firm notes that it will continue to replace fossil-fuel-based traditional energy sources as more homes and businesses switch to solar. In addition, Scatec projects that the installed solar PV capacity will surpass coal, becoming the most significant power source in the world by 2027.
Scatec’s sub-Saharan Africa executive, VP Jan Fourie, notes, “We see ourselves as forerunners in South Africa’s bourgeoning solar industry, and our facilities already contribute substantially to the county’s solar energy output. The trio of projects in the Northern Cape’s Kenhardt region alone boasts a cumulative capacity of 540 MW in solar production and 1,140 MWh in battery storage. Additionally, earlier this year, Scatec reached a financial close on a new trio of plants in Grootfontein, which will have a total capacity of 273 MW. Construction will continue in earnest, with completion expected in 2025.”
“Meanwhile, in North Cameroon, Scatec preassembled tailored solar power and battery storage systems, which are the first of their kind to be deployed in the country, and the solar hybrid and battery storage plants boast a capacity of 36 MW solar and 20 MW, or 19 MWh, of energy storage. In response, we have seen exponential growth in solar PV installations, with the technology becoming a favoured, swifter, more cost-effective and cleaner alternative to traditional coal-based sources,” Fourie adds.