During his inaugural State of the Province Address a year ago, premier Panyaza Lesufi disclosed the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) intent to construct a 800MW solar farm in Merafong, in the West Rand.
The premier said that the project would be financed with R1.2 billion earmarked to tackle the energy crisis in the Gauteng province. Lesufi said that the time (February 2023).
“To set the ball rolling, as the Gauteng Provincial Government, we are releasing R1.2 billion towards resolving the energy crisis in Gauteng. In a few weeks, we will appoint six developers who will commence the construction of an 800MW solar farm in Merafong.
“This will be followed by the installation of roof-top solar panels in government buildings, especially hospitals, clinics and schools," he said.
Premier Lesufi provided a brief update on the project during his second State of the Province Address earlier this month.
"We have finalised the signing of independent power producers who are going to produce 800 Mega Watts in Merafong Farm in the Westrand," said the premier.
"Solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage systems are being integrated into 21 government healthcare facilities. We are removing health facilities and schools from being impacted by loadshedding. We are on course to get extra energy for the people of Gauteng," added Lesufi.
Johannesburg power utility City Power also aims to add 100 MW of electricity capacity to the grid to reduce the impact of loadshedding on residents.
The 100 MW would be generated using open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) technology and this would later be expanded to 300 MW, Premier Lesufi said in his State of the Province Address.
Earlier in February, Lesufi visited a solar microgrid project named "Green Village" in Alexandra, which aims to provide sustainable power solutions to underserved communities. The 100-megawatt solar-powered plant is poised to supply approximately 500 households within the informal settlement.
"Our solar farm is ready to lighten up portions of Alexandra township. By the end of this political term, 14 other townships will be off the grid as we add more additional power," said Lesufi during the tour.
"We are proud that, starting next month, this power station will be revitalised to deliver much-needed electricity to the people of Gauteng."
City Power initially slated refurbishments to commence in March. However, the process has already commenced with replacing outdated cables and installing new valves. Additionally, plans are underway to replace the substation's engine to ensure enhanced reliability and efficiency.
City Power is also replacing streetlights with solar-powered versions, especially in areas where violent crime is a concern, as part of a switch to renewables.
Lesufi moved to underscore Gauteng's economic prowess, revealing that its economy now surpassed that of all other provinces in the country.
"Gauteng has the largest number of employed people at around 5 million. Despite the job losses during the devasting COVID-19 pandemic, our economy remained resilient, and we rebounded with over 449,000 jobs."
Over the past year, Gauteng has experienced a notable increase of 96,300 jobs, with 31,300 positions created in the last 90 days alone.
Premier Lesufi highlighted the influx of investments, revealing that the province has attracted over R68 billion from 261 foreign companies, generating approximately 23,000 direct jobs across various sectors.
"These investments cut across the 10 high-growth sectors of our economy," he said.
Comments