Italy-based renewable energy developer Building Energy (BE) has emerged as the preferred bidder for a 140-MW wind project and a 4.7-MW small-hydro scheme in South Africa.
BE was among the bidders at the fourth round of the South African Department of Energy’s Renewable Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme.
The said project is sited at “Roggeveld, between the Northern and Western Cape provinces, while the hydro facility will be built in Kruisvallei in the Free State province”, according to a seenews report.
In the first and third rounds of REIPPP auctions, BE had won bids for 81-MWp solar project in Kathu and a 16.5-MWe biomass project in Mkuze.
BE won the bid for the Kathu project, which was then touted as the largest-of-its-kind in the world, in November 2011. It was one of the 28 preferred bidders for the first round of the REIPPP programme.
The latest project diversifies the footprint of BE across four different green technologies, making it the first independent power producer handling such a diverse portfolio.
Building Energy is currently managing the development and operationalization of more than 30 projects across South Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa.
In sub-Saharan Africa the company had a pipeline of over 500MW. It included utility-scale ground mounted and rooftop plants in addition to solutions for large industrial users and mines.
Ajith Kumar S