Greentech Lead Africa: AE-AMD Renewable Energy, a joint
venture between the Spanish AMDA energia and the South African Alt-E
Technologies, and Tenesol, a SunPower company, announced two South African
ground-mounted solar power projects totaling 33 megawatts (MW).
Both projects, which Tenesol will construct, are located
near Douglas, South Africa in the Northern Cape Province.
Herbert, a 22-MW project, has begun construction, and
groundbreaking for the 11-MW Greefspan project will begin in the coming weeks.
They are both part of the South African government’s Independent Power
Producers Procurement Program and completion for both projects is expected in
the second quarter of 2014.
The last step in financing took place onNov. 16 when
final agreements were signed-off by the South African Department of Energy.
“SunPower’s successful track record of building
solar power plants around the world, coupled with Tenesol’s historic presence
in South Africa, will positively impact this region,” said SunPower
Regions President Howard Wenger. “These two solar power projects will
generate local construction jobs and deliver clean, reliable energy to the
community.”
Both systems will be owned by AE-AMD Renewable Energy in
partnership with the IDEAS Fund, an infrastructure fund managed by Old Mutual
Investment Group of South Africa that will also resell the
electricity to Eskom upon completion of the projects. Tenesol has a five
percent share in the two projects.
The ground-mounted solar systems will feature 138,000
Tenesol TE 240 photovoltaic solar panels on single-axis trackers. The
solar panels are being produced at the Cape Townmanufacturing facility
which has been in operation for more than a decade, and has 3BBBEE rating.