On Wednesday 26 April Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for a solar power plant, the local munitions manufacturer’s R72 million investment in a greener future.
The 5-megawatt solar power plant aligns with RDM’s renewable-energy strategy, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 and will be able to power the Somerset West operations with a high possibility of exporting clean surplus energy back to the grid.
RDM aims to construct similar solutions for all its operations.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Rheinmetall AG CEO Armin Papperger said: “Rheinmetall is laying a foundation that will enable us to open up new business areas here at the site to continue to operate successfully in the future and to expand the company’s position in the world markets, and at the same time contribute to the well-being and a humane future of all.”
RDM CEO Jan-Patrick Helmsen said: “We are installing 9 204 solar panels with the capacity to generate over 4,2 million Watts of alternating current (AC) power Somerset Operations. Reducing our carbon footprints has been our motivation to invest in solar plants. At the same time we are integrating this solar PV power plant with a fully automated back-up power generation that can sustain the solar PV power output, which works like a mini-power grid. This will ensure our operation is immune to load shedding. Incorporating renewable energy in our operations has proven critical for sustainability and energy security.”
The Premier of Western Cape, Alan Winde, was quoted as saying the Western Cape is in the process of making four towns in the province load shedding-free through renewable energy and shared the same sentiments regarding how the energy crisis has inconvenienced various sectors of the economy including the education system. He further said the provincial government was preparing care packs for needy households to assist during load shedding and thanked Rheinmetall for being part of the energy solution.
Construction, scheduled to be completed before the end of the year, is creating job opportunities especially for RDM’s host community of Macassar.
The plant also extended its innovation to its neighbour, Bundle of Joy Preschool, which is now solar-powered and establishing itself as one of the energy suppliers in South Africa for Africa and for the export markets with localisation of solar PV, export of green hydrogen, and production of mobile green hydrogen plants as an independent power solution for various applications. RDM is in the process of replacing its combustion engine with e-mobility in the plant.
Recently Rheinmetall committed itself to investing R251 million in renewable energy in South Africa during the 5th Presidential Investment Summit. It has introduced e-mobility to its operations, replacing its entire combustion engine fleet with e-cars and hybrid vehicles, including lithium-ion powered forklifts. At the beginning of July 2022, it introduced e-scooters, a charging station and two mini e-buses, for commuting between Somerset West and Boskop sites.
