DE AAR – South African businesses are increasingly looking for long-term energy certainty – both in security of supply and cost savings. Projects such as SunCentral will enable companies to access green power while managing rising electricity costs and reducing their carbon footprint.

Located between Hanover and De Aar in the Northern Cape, SunCentral is being developed as a utility-scale solar PV plant for multiple off-takers (one-to-many wheeling), including commercial and industrial customers, unlike other projects built for a single, dedicated large power consumer.

On Wednesday 26 August, SolarAfrica and Proconics NewFields marked the completion and energisation of SunCentral 1, the first 114 MW facility within the solar farm’s first phase, alongside the official handover of the Aquila Main Transmission Substation (MTS) to Eskom and the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA).

Phase 1 comprises three 114 MW solar facilities with a combined generation capacity of 342 MW. Once fully developed, SunCentral is expected to deliver up to 1 GW of renewable energy capacity.

Every component of the facility – from overhead lines, solar fields and transmission infrastructure – was designed and built from the ground up to maximise power generation in the sun-rich Northern Cape region.

Critical transmission infrastructure completed

The Aquila MTS is a critical component of the project; it represents SolarAfrica’s R1.35 billion investment and now forms part of South Africa’s transmission network following its handover to NTCSA. Engineered for up to 2 GVA of green power evacuation capacity, the facility houses a 500 MVA transformer and provides the critical connection between SunCentral and the national transmission grid, while supporting regional grid stability.

The MTS will strengthen South Africa’s transmission network while enabling renewable energy to flow where it is needed most.

The substation was engineered and constructed by Proconics NewFields, a South African Engineering Procurement and Construction company and principal developer of the transmission infrastructure.

The occasion was celebrated at the SunCentral solar farm and attended by representatives from SolarAfrica, Proconics, Eskom, NTCSA, local community stakeholders and government representatives.

Commercial operation and future expansion

“Completing energisation of the initial cluster of SunCentral Phase 1 demonstrates that large-scale wheeling projects can be delivered successfully in South Africa. It represents years of planning and collaboration between the private sector, Eskom, NTCSA and our project partners,” said David McDonald, CEO of SolarAfrica.

McDonald says that as construction and energisation of both the solar facility and its associated transmission infrastructure have now been completed, the initial cluster of SunCentral Phase 1 will officially reach its Commercial Operation Date in the coming weeks, with customer energy supply and billing expected to commence during the fourth quarter of this year.

Future phases are expected to increasingly combine utility-scale solar generation with battery energy storage systems, allowing renewable energy to be supplied beyond daylight hours and increasing the proportion of clean energy available to customers while supporting a more resilient electricity grid.

“SunCentral has shown what can be achieved when industry, government and project partners pull in the same direction. It’s bringing more renewable energy into the market, giving businesses greater choice and affordability in how they procure electricity, while developing the infrastructure that will support South Africa’s energy future,” concludes McDonald.

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