Solar energy company SolarAfrica and local engineering firm Proconics NewFields, on August 26 marked the completion and energisation of SunCentral 1, the first 114 MW facility within the SunCentral solar farm’s first phase, alongside the official handover of the Aquila Main Transmission Substation (MTS) to State-owned Eskom and the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA).
Together, these milestones bring the initial phases of one of South Africa's largest utility-scale wheeling developments to the threshold of commercial operation.
The occasion was celebrated at the SunCentral solar farm, located between Hanover and De Aar, in the Northern Cape, and attended by representatives from SolarAfrica, Proconics, Eskom, the NTCSA, local community stakeholders and government representatives.
Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul was in attendance and commented that this project reaffirmed the province’s competitive advantage as a renewable-energy leader and aligned perfectly with the Northern Cape's industrialisation plans, with energy as a key enabler.
"Completing energisation of the initial cluster of SunCentral Phase 1 demonstrates that large-scale wheeling projects can be delivered successfully in South Africa. It represents years of planning and collaboration between the private sector, Eskom, the NTCSA and our project partners,” said SolarAfrica CEO David McDonald.
