Mainstream Renewable Power has reached financial close on a 98MW photovoltaic project in South Africa and has signed supply deals with Sasol and Air Liquide for the project.
Construction of the solar farm, which is located in the Free State province, will start this year and is scheduled to be fully operational in 2025.
The power it will generate will be delivered via the national grid to Sasol and Air Liquide’s operations in Secunda, located in Mpumalanga province.
The 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) are part of Sasol and Air Liquide’s joint drive to decarbonise their respective operations.
Mainstream’s General Manager for Africa Hein Reyneke said: “We are proud to partner with Sasol and Air Liquide, delivering an efficient and cost-effective solution to their decarbonisation needs.
“As one of the most successful developers of renewable energy in South Africa, Mainstream is well positioned as a partner of choice for private PPAs.
“These agreements are crucial to unlocking the country’s energy constraints, as they can make a significant contribution to our energy security and loadshedding challenges quickly and cost-effectively.
“We are pleased that Mainstream is at the forefront of the energy transition.”
The project will contribute to the local community through job creation and socio-economic investment.
“This agreement underscores our commitment and responsibility to providing viable commercial and socio-economic solutions to address South Africa’s energy security needs as part of the energy transition and contribute towards developing the independent power producers’ role in rebuilding the South African economy as quickly as possible,” said Reyneke.
Mainstream’s South African team has developed a project pipeline comprising more than 10GW of onshore wind and solar across multiple provinces in South Africa.
In addition, its subsidiary, Mainstream Asset Management South Africa (MAMSA), provides operations and maintenance services to ensure long-term asset integrity.