French development agency backs South African pumped hydro storage project
Agence Française de Développement has signed a ZAR 125 million ($7 million) grant agreement with South African utility Eskom to support the development of a hydro storage system project.
Fixing faulty inverters in PV plants via root cause analysis
Kiwa PI Berlin has fixed faults in inverters at a PV plant in South Africa by using root cause analysis. The project had experienced up to 130 failures related to insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).
Eskom secures licenses for 125 MW of solar
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has granted licenses for two solar projects to be operated by Eskom. Tenders for the construction of both projects, which have a combined capacity of 125.3 MW, took place earlier this year.
PowerChina selects EPC contractor for 342 MW of solar in South Africa
Chinese civil engineering company PowerChina has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with developer SolarAfrica Energy for a 342 MW solar plant, to be built in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
Scientists assess heat dissipation factors in fixed, single-axis PV modules
Scientists have measured two fixed panels and two single-axis modules for months to determine their site-specific heat dissipation factors. These local results indicate a 3.3% enhancement in energy production compared to the default factors used in PVSyst.
University of the Western Cape launches 4 MW solar, storage tender
South Africa’s University of the Western Cape (UWC) has opened a 4 MW solar and storage tender, with proposals to include a PV carport system and an online monitoring and management platform. The tender follows a build, operate, and transfer model for up to 20 years.
Construction begins on South Africa’s first city-run solar plant
The city of Cape Town, South Africa, has started building a 7 MW solar plant that it will own and operate. It has also launched a tender for a 5 MW/8 MWh battery energy storage system to be built at the same site.
Powerchina switches on 100 MW solar tower in South Africa
Powerchina has switched on a 100 MW solar tower in South Africa. The concentrated solar power (CSP) project will supply 480 GWh of clean energy to the country’s power grid each year. The system’s molten salt storage enables 12 hours of full-load operation.
The Hydrogen Stream: Ballard restructures, Forvia supplies hydrogen tanks
Ballard Power Systems says it has started restructuring its global operations to cut costs due to slower hydrogen infrastructure development and delayed fuel cell adoption.
European Investment Bank invests in solar, wind in South Africa
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) are each investing €100 million ($110.8 million) in small- and medium-scale solar and onshore wind projects in South Africa. Together, they have now committed €600 million under South Africa’s Embedded Generation Investment Programme (EGIP).
