Electronics and electrical engineering company Siemens has begun construction at two 50MW solar photovoltaic projects in the Northern Cape of South Africa.
The projects are part of three renewable energy projects with a combined 238MW capacity under the Government of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program.
Siemens will provide the engineering, procurement and construction services at the De Aar solar plant in the Emthanjeni municipality and the Droogfontein solar plant near the town of Kimberley.
British power company Globeleq Generation is the majority shareholder of the projects alongside a consortium of companies.
Estimated to cost €500m ($635m), the 138MW wind farm at Jeffreys Bay on the Eastern Cape and the two solar farms are together expected to power over 156,000 homes and reduce over 580,000t of carbon emissions annually.
Globeleq CEO Mikael Karlsson said, “The start of construction of these three projects reinforces the dedication and leadership of the South African government to climate change and the necessity for diversifying the energy supply for the country.”
All projects are projected to become operational by mid-2014.