Proposed Development of Two 9.9MW Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) associated with the Afrikaans and Sotho PV Plants on the Remaining Extent of Farm Bokpoort 390, Groblershoop, Northern Cape

In September 2020, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) released a request for proposal as part of the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme to reduce the current load shedding periods being experienced by the country. ACWA Power Project DAO (RF) Pty Ltd (hereafter referred to as ACWA Power) submitted a bid for a 150MW (export capacity) PV plant that was bid as “Project DAO” and were successful.

A condition in the RFP requires Bidders to not tap into the national grid for power and requires that a reliability test be undertaken at a specified generation rate and time. In meeting the RFP requirements, ACWA Power decided to supplement their already authorised project infrastructure by adding ICE infrastructure in the projects which was applied for and then authorised. The DMRE relaxed the reliability run requirements, and ACWA Power decided to lapse four (Zulu, Afrikaans, Sotho and Swati PV plant ICE) of the seven ICE EAs. The DMRE has now confirmed that they are not relaxing the reliability run requirements, and as such, ACWA Power needs two additional ICE to meet these requirements. Individual applications for Environmental Authorisation will be lodged for the 9.9MW ICE within the Afrikaans and Sotho previously approved PV plants on the Bokpoort Farm 390, !Kheis Local Municipality, Northern Cape.