A ZAR1.2 billion solar PV plant and battery-storage facility will help Cape Town, South Africa, mitigate against the load shedding bedevilling the country.

Announced on 17 April by Cape Town Mayor Giordin Hill-Lewis, the solar plant will be built on 400 ha of city-owned land in Paardevlei, Somerset West, on the eastern fringes of the metro, according to News24.

Hill-Lewis says the 60 MW generated by the plant will be sufficient to avoid one stage of load shedding.

A feasibility study will be complete by the end of 2023, with full commissioning of the plant estimated by August 2026.

The City is considering a public-private partnership to fund the project or an offtake agreement with an independent power producer.

The project is receiving technical assistance from the C-40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF). Cape Town is signatory to the C-40 Cities, a global network of large cities taking science-based action to address climate change.

25 April 2023
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