Greentech Lead Africa: JinkoSolar has formed partnership
with EPC partner Solea Renewables to deliver a Limpopo province chrome mine with
the first ever off-grid utility scale photovoltaic system in South Africa.
The 1 MW plant will produce approximately 1.8 GWh
of electricity per year and will effectively reduce the mine’s daytime diesel
dependency for the next 20 to 30 years.
Solea Renewables has designed, engineered and constructed
the fully integrated turnkey PV system. It will use 4,170 high efficiency
polycrystalline PV panels supplied by JinkoSolar.
South Africa has committed to increase power supplies
from independent producers, and this project supports this mission. Further the
project also increases the country’s objective to increase the percentage of
renewable energy among the country’s total power mix.
“While the global demand for South African coal,
platinum, palladium and chromium increases, mines and other industrial
consumers face power supply constraints due to capacity challenges at Eskom.
The turnkey delivery of our PV plants will not only benefit end-users, but it
will in turn help reduce the ever present and increasing energy demand Eskom
faces,” said Vusi Mhlanzi, director of Solea Renewables,
“We chose JinkoSolar panels for its superior
performance and reliability, as seen in utility-scale installations
across Asia, Europe, and Americas,” Mhlanzi added.
The plant is expected to be completed by late October,
2012. The electricity generated by JinkoSolar quality solar panels will
definitely reduce the mine’s daytime diesel consumption.
“We have great expectations for South Africa.
The region’s booming population, strong economic growth and abundant sunlight
represent an exciting opportunity for solar and for
JinkoSolar,” said Kangping Chen, chief executive officer of
JinkoSolar, “we look forward to working with Solea Renewables, an
experienced EPC partner on this momentous project.”
JinkoSolar
modules pass high voltage endurance test
Recently JinkoSolar announced that its modules have
passed potential induced degradation (PID) test. The test was conducted by
TUV-SUD and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).
editor@greentechlead.com