Developments of the Fountain Solar PV1 Facility and associated Grid Connection Infrastructure near De Aar, Northern Cape Province

Fountain Solar PV1 (Pty) Ltd is proposing the development of a Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Energy Facility and associated infrastructure on Portion 1 of the Farm Riet Fountain No.6, located approximately 10km east of De Aar within the Emthanjeni Local Municipality in the Northern Cape Province. The facility will have a contracted capacity of up to 100MW and will be known as Fountain Solar PV1. The project is planned as part of a cluster of renewable energy facilities known as Pixley Park, which includes three (3) additional 100MW Solar PV Facilities (Wagt Solar PV1, Carolus PV1, and Rietfontien Solar PV), and grid connection infrastructure connecting the facilities to the existing Hydra Substation. The projects will all connect to the new Vetlaagte Main Transmission Substation (MTS) via the Wag ‘n Bietjie MTS. Infrastructure associated with the Solar PV Facility will include the following:
Solar PV array comprising bifacial PV modules and mounting structures, using single axis tracking technology
Inverters and transformers
Cabling between the panels
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
Laydown areas, construction camps, site offices
12m wide Access Road and entrance gate from the [xx rod] to project site and switching station
6m wide internal distribution roads
Operations and Maintenance Building, Site Offices, Ablutions with conservancy tanks, Storage Warehouse, workshop, Guard House
Onsite 132kV IPP Substation, including the HV Step-up transformer, and MV Interconnection building 132kV Overhead Power Line (OHPL) – 30m height from the switching station to the Main Transmission Substation (MTS) located on farms Vetlaagte and Wagt, which is to be handed back to Eskom (a separate EA is being applied for in this regard)
Extension of the 132kV Busbar at the MTS
132kV Feeder Bay at the MTS
Extension of the 400kV Busbar at the MTS
Installation of a new 400/132kV Transformer and bay at the MTS

A development footprint of approximately 300ha has been identified within the broader project site (approximately 8200ha in extent), by the developer for the development of the Fountain Solar PV1 Facility, which 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 the proposed project under the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Programme (or similar 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 Fountain Solar PV1 set to inject up to 100MW into the national grid.