Enel, through its subsidiary Enel Green Power RSA (“EGP RSA”) has completed and connected to the grid the Tom Burke photovoltaic power plant in South Africa’s Limpopo province. “With the completion of Tom Burke, Enel takes its installed capacity in South Africa to nearly 160 MW” said Lamberto Dai Pra’, Enel’s country manager in South Africa.
“Furthermore, we have more than a gigawatt either recently awarded or already under construction, leveraging on the huge potential offered by this resource-rich country. The South African energy market is on the point of a very interesting evolution and we are developing an increasingly integrated presence in the country.”
With an installed capacity of 66 MW, the Tom Burke photovoltaic power plant is capable of generating up to 122 GWh per year. This output is equivalent to the annual consumption needs of around 38,000 South African households while avoiding the emission of over 111,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.
The PV power plant is supported by a 20-year power supply agreement with the South African utility Eskom, as part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) tender promoted by the South African Government which awarded the project to the Enel Group.
In South Africa, Enel’s South African renewable subsidiary EGP RSA currently owns and operates, as well as Tom Burke, the recently-completed Paleisheuwel photovoltaic power plant (82.5 MW) in the Western Cape and the 10 MW Upington photovoltaic power plant in the Northern Cape.
EGP RSA has a further 364 MW of projects currently under construction. Moreover, in 2015 the Enel Group was awarded a further five wind projects for a total capacity of 705 MW following the fourth phase of REIPPPP tender.
