Richards Bay Minerals announces landmark renewable energy partnership
RBM partners with international energy company Voltalia for solar power
RICHARDS Bay Minerals (RBM) is set to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10% as it turns to renewable solar power in a landmark agreement with international energy company Voltalia.
The partnership will include local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partners, as announced by RBM this morning (Thursday).
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Under the agreement, Voltalia will begin construction of the Bolobedu Solar PV renewable energy project in 2023, at a site around 120km east of Polokwane, Limpopo.
The power plant is scheduled to be complete by 2024 and will deliver an annual generation capacity of up to 300GWh.
It will feed into the national power grid to supply RBM’s smelting and processing facilities, through a wheeling agreement in line with the recent amendment to the Electricity Regulation Act.
“This agreement is a first step towards reducing RBM’s carbon emissions through the use of renewable solar power, so we contribute to a net zero future. We look forward to working with Voltalia as it develops this solar power plant and delivers significant benefits for communities,” said RBM MD Werner Duvenhage.
Voltalia will work to ensure the Bolobedu Solar PV project creates local employment opportunities for the surrounding communities.
A total workforce of more than 700 people is expected during construction, with a workforce of around 50 people once the plant becomes operational, said the RBM statement.
“We are very pleased to support RBM in its decarbonisation journey. The Bolobedu photovoltaic power plant will be our biggest project in Africa, after performing construction of a series of other solar plants for us or for clients on the continent (Zimbabwe, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritania and Egypt),” said Voltalia CEO Sébastien Clerc.
“This project is the first of our South African large solar-and-wind portfolio under development, in areas with grid connection available, that will be ready to support our clients to overpass the actual energy crisis with affordable, clean and stable electricity.”
The Bolobedu Solar PV power plant will be 51% black-owned through BEE partners, with a minimum 10% stake going to black women, while the host community will also have a participation.
