Proposed Moriri Solar PV Facility to be developed as part of the Great Karoo Renewable Energy Development near Richmond in the Northern Cape

Great Karoo Renewable Energy (Pty) Ltd is proposing the construction and operation of a photovoltaic (PV) solar energy facility and associated infrastructure on Portion 0 of Farm Rondavel 85, located approximately 35km south-west of Richmond and 80km south-east of Victoria West, within the Ubuntu Local Municipality and the Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province.

A preferred project site with an extent of ~29 909ha and a development area of ~577ha within the project site has been identified by Great Karoo Renewable Energy (Pty) Ltd as a technically suitable area for the development of the Moriri Solar PV Facility with a contracted capacity of up to 100MW.

The Moriri Solar PV Facility project site is proposed to accommodate the following infrastructure, which will enable the facility to supply a contracted capacity of up to 100MW:
Solar PV array comprising PV modules and mounting structures.
Inverters and transformers.
Cabling between the panels.
33/132kV onsite facility substation.
Cabling from the onsite substation to the collector substation (either underground or overhead).
Electrical and auxiliary equipment required at the collector substation that serves that solar energy facility, including switchyard/bay, control building, fences, etc.
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
Site offices and maintenance buildings, including workshop areas for maintenance and storage.
Laydown areas.
Access roads and internal distribution roads.

The solar PV facility is proposed in response to the identified objectives of the national and provincial government and local and district municipalities to develop renewable energy facilities for power generation purposes. It is the developer’s intention to bid for the Moriri Solar PV Facility under the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Programme, with the aim of evacuating the generated power into the national grid. This will aid in the diversification and stabilisation of the country’s electricity supply, in line with the objectives of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with the Moriri Solar PV Facility set to inject up to 100MW into the national grid.

The project is planned as part of a larger cluster of renewable energy projects, which include two (2) 140MW Wind Energy Facilities (known as Merino Wind Farm and Angora Wind Farm) two (2) additional 100MW PV facilities (known as Nku Solar PV and Kwana Solar PV), as well as the grid connection infrastructure connecting the renewable energy facilities to the existing Eskom Gamma Substation.