The total photovoltaic capacity to be installed by EGP in South Africa will exceed 300 MW
Rome, May 21st 2014 Enel Green Power has connected South Africas first photovoltaic plant, located in Upington (in the Khara Hais municipality in the Northern Cape province), to the countrys electricity network.
The new plant, which has a total installed capacity of 10 MW, will be capable of generating up to around 20 million kWh per year once fully operational. This corresponds to the annual electricity needs of about 1,000 South African households.
The clean energy generated by the Upington plant means that around 10 thousand tonnes of CO2 emissions can be avoided each year.
Upington is the first photovoltaic plant built by EGP in South Africa. In addition, Enel Green Power plans to install more than 300 MW in photovoltaic capacity after being awarded the right to sign energy supply contracts with local utility Eskom in 2013 following a tender. The contracts call for the installation of more than 500 MW, including almost 200 MW of wind power.
The four photovoltaic plants (Aurora, Tom Burke, Paleisheweul and Pulida) will be located in the regions of Northern Cape, Western Cape, Free State and Limpopo areas with very high concentrations of solar radiation and will be designed using thin-film photovoltaic modules manufactured by 3Sun, the joint venture equally owned by Enel Green Power, STMicroelectronics and Sharp with facilities in Catania.
Enel Green Power is the Enel Group company fully dedicated to the development and management of renewable energy sources at the international level, with operations in Europe and the Americas. The company generated over 29 billion kWh in 2013 from water, sun, wind and the Earths heat - enough to meet the energy needs of more than 10 million households and avoid the emission of 16 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Enel Green Power is a world leader in the sector thanks to its well-balanced generation mix, providing generation volumes well over the sector average. The company has an installed capacity of approximately 8,900 MW from a mix of sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass. The company has approximately 750 plants operating in 16 countries in Europe and the Americas.
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