A massive solar photovoltaic (PV) plant installed at a packaging manufacturer based at the Somerset West Business Park promises to bring about a significant positive impact on the community as it is expected to reduce demand for Eskom-supplied electricity and possibly reduce stages of load shedding affecting the Helderberg.
The packaging business, which operates 24/7, and is the producer of innovative packaging systems, bottles, caps and injection-moulded parts for a wide range of industries, is based adjacent to the N2 along Hazeldene Drive.
Altogether at least 1 880 solar panels have been installed on all the available roof space at their premises, which covers an area of approximately 10 000 m² and will produce up to one megawatt of electricity, about one-third of the total consumption by the company.
As the largest consumers of electricity in the basin, this project will ease some of the power constraints, both of the tenant and on the area as a whole as any additional power will be put back into the grid. The project is spearheaded by the property owners, Urban Growth, with support from investors Skybound Capital whilst the actual installation was done by Advanced Solutions South Africa (Assa) in collaboration with Secure Tech Solutions (STS) and backing from the power utility giant, Eskom.
“Urban Growth is committed to creating a fully ‘off-the-grid’ A-grade industrial portfolio in the Western Cape,” said Ross Gregory, Director at Urban Growth. “We have either completed or are in the process of completing four projects in 2023, including that of Somerset West, Paarl, Epping and Springfield (Wynberg),” he said, while confirming that the plant was switched on and operational by Thursday 23 November. According to STS, both the property owner and the tenant are working diligently to reduce their energy requirements.
“We are optimistic that with these collective efforts, Eskom will implement the much-anticipated curtailment programme for the area, marking a tremendous achievement for all involved. The benefits of this initiative will ripple through to the smaller businesses surrounding the property, mitigating the impact of load shedding until after stage “This, undoubtedly, will be a crucial win for the entire community,” said a STS spokesperson, adding that their experience of working with Eskom has been exceptional as they have shown great dedication throughout the process.
Hermanus Wagner of Assa said that the installations began in August and were completed by November. “During phase 1 of the project we used all available roof space consisting of 1 880 solar panels. The aim is to take the company completely off the grid. We’ve also integrated battery storage, which will further ensure maximum benefit to the client. It was a very exciting project and a huge achievement that it is now completed.”
