Independent power producer SolarAfrica Energy has broken ground on its first utility-scale solar farm, SunCentral, in the Northern Cape.

Soventix South Africa originally developed the project for submission into the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme before selling the rights of Phase 1 of the cluster development to SolarAfrica and will continue to develop phases 2 and 3 for the project as time progresses.

Phase 1 of the project will have a total generation capacity of approximately 342 MW. Phases 2 and 3 will increase the total size to 1 GW.

Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm Proconics will install SunCentral’s main transmission substation (MTS) while another EPC firm, Sinohydro, will install more than 500 000 solar panels.

The R1 billion MTS, funded by SolarAfrica, will be crucial in enabling the on-site generated power to be evacuated into the national grid.

“Investments of this nature go a long way in bolstering the grid’s ability to manage and distribute power across the country,” said David McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of SolarAfrica Energy.

SunCentral is expected to provide power on a one-to-many basis and thus ensure more South African businesses can access cheaper, cleaner energy via wheeling, he said.