By Akanimo Sampson
As one of the eight preferred bidders in the government of South Africa’s Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), Oya Energy is set to put up the largest hybrid energy project in Africa.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) in South Africa named the company as one of its preferred bidders
Operating in the solar energy market since 2009, OYA Solar develops large-scale solar projects that brings cost-effective energy and widespread economic benefits to local communities.
As a result, it chooses to develop solar in challenging locations and for communities typically facing high barriers to participation.
Considered to be one of the leading solar development companies in North America, OYA Solar is focused on the needs of local stakeholders in the communities where it develop, own and operate its solar projects.
‘’We work closely with landowners, municipalities and utilities to choose a location for each project that maximizes the benefit for each stakeholder for decades to come’’, the company says on its website.
Oya Energy will own and operate the 128MW plant near the town of Matjiesfontein, straddling the Western and Northern Cape Provinces.
The plant will be the largest hybrid energy project in Africa and is unique in the world in terms of technology mix, size, and price.
Director of Oya Energy, Dr Killian Hagemann, welcomed the announcement and said that the Oya project matches and exceeds government’s expectations in the RMIPPPP as it is extremely competitive while still complying with all strict requirements set by the IPP Office and its advisors, guaranteeing full compliance in terms of South African regulations.
According to the director, value for money played a key role in the design choices and operational philosophy of the project.
“While in the last few years these technologies have proven to be the cheapest form of generation, some observers continue to criticise wind and solar for its lack of reliability and dependability, especially at times when the grid is under strain”, he said.
“Through its unique combination of co-located wind turbines and PV arrays with a large battery, Oya can provide some power on demand at a lower cost than flexible gas projects and practically without harmful CO2 or other emissions, bringing us closer to our 2050 vision of powering South Africa’s electricity grid on 100% renewables”, he added.
The key strength of Oya’s location is its natural resources together with relative proximity to the national grid. The project also falls within the Komsberg Renewable Energy Development Zone (REDZ).
