Cape Town - Construction has started at the City-run solar PV plant in Atlantis, aimed at fostering job creation and reducing dependence on traditional energy sources.
The 7MW-10MW plant is the first utility-scale solar project owned and operated by a South African municipality.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the construction of the R200 million project is expected to take about a year, which will then connect to a nearby main substation to feed 7MW (and potentially scalable up to 10MW) directly to the grid.
“This is one of our flagship projects in our priority programme to build a more secure energy future, with advanced plans to diversify energy sources for cleaner and more affordable energy.
“This is so vital as we face another massive Eskom price hike.
“The first power is expected to be delivered near the end of 2025. The idea is to potentially have a number of similar plants rolled out across the metro in the years to come,” said Hill-Lewis.
Energy mayco member, Xanthea Limberg, said the Atlantis site will also house the first utility-scale battery storage operation.
“The Battery Energy Storage System Project aims to serve as a pilot project to eventually incorporate energy storage into the City’s network.
“By co-locating the battery system at the Atlantis PV plant, it allows the solar PV and BESS (Battery Energy Storage System Project) to operate in synergy as a hybrid plant,” Limberg said.
The City currently spends 75% of its electricity tariff income on purchasing power from Eskom, a situation both Limberg and Hill-Lewis argue is unsustainable amid the utility’s escalating prices.
The move to renewable energy is seen as critical to mitigate these rising costs.
“We ask potential tenderers to visit the City’s tender portal for more information and to submit their application before November 20,” Limberg said.
Ward 29 councillor in Atlantis, Allister Lightburn, said the community welcomes the multimillion-rand project.
“We are looking forward to future renewable energy developments, especially in the Atlantis economic zone, where construction of zone one is already under way.
“It will definitely create jobs for our residents and also for small, medium, and large enterprises and SMMEs.
“There is already one person working on this. It is just a matter of the residency being geared towards this, and especially those that are looking for more employment within the solar power industry welcome this,” Lightburn said.
Cape Argus