UTILITY SCALE
SOLA is a leading utility-scale solar PV project developer.
SOLA is one of the leading developers and project originators in South Africa. Since 2008 the SOLA group has led the way in the greenfield project development for large-scale solar PV farms, developing over 621 MW of solar PV projects alongside a pipeline of 750 MW worth of projects under the banner of its previous company, Aurora Power Solutions. The project development expertise developed by Aurora in its home market, South Africa, is now applied within the SOLA Group to other promising solar PV markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
SOLA takes a holistic approach to project development with detailed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allowing the determination of the best-suited areas for the construction of PV projects. Factors such as solar radiation, critical biodiversity areas, access to the national grid, servitude requirements, road access and topography are taken into account when developing utility-scale solar PV.
SOLA’s highly experienced team develops project portfolios by integrating environmental, irradiation and land data with detailed plant design and construction plans to ensure the projects are developed in the most cost effective and efficient way.
Through SOLA’s experience in developing its own solar PV projects and completing due diligence on a further 500 MW of third-party projects, the team has developed a highly effective feasibility assessment system. This internal due diligence capability ensures potential project issues can be identified and addressed at the beginning of the development process.
Potential investment projects are subjected to a detailed due diligence and thorough macroeconomic and sociopolitical assessments. In addition to investment by SOLA, the team has an established track record of raising both equity and debt funding for solar PV projects. These may include utility-scale solar farms or rooftop installations. SOLA cultivates strong relationships with both South African and international investors, development finance institutions and commercial banks; enabling SOLA to raise financing for viable new solar PV opportunities.
Key benefits of utility-scale solar PV site development by SOLA include:
- Significant expertise in project development, resulting in time-saving and efficiency
- Experts in PPA negotiations, legal and financial structuring
- Strong history and experience of raising capital for project development
- Site and project development
- Internal EPC offering, creating greater efficiency and cost-saving
- full end-to-end vertically integrated utility offering
| Project | Location | Size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tronox Mineral Sands | Northwest, RSA | 256 MW AC | Under Construction |
| African Rainbow Minerals | Northwest, RSA | 130 MW AC | Awarded |
| Harmony | South Africa | 30 MW AC | Under Construction |
| Amazon Web | South Africa | 11.6 MW AC | Awarded |
| Heineken | South Africa | 7 MW AC | Operational |
| Aries | Kenhart, Northern Cape | 10 MW AC | Operational |
| Adams II | Kathu, Northern Cape | 75 MW AC | Operational |
| Konkoonsies | Pofadder, Northern Cape | 10 MW AC | Operational |
| Sirius | Upington, Northern Cape | 75 MW AC | Under Construction |
| Bellatrix SPP1 | Victoria West, Northern Cape | 5 MW AC | Awarded |
| Adams SPP1 | Kathu, Northern Cape | 5 MW AC | Awarded |
| Castor SPP 2 | Stella, North West Province | 5 MW AC | Awarded |
| Capella SPP 2 | Boshof, Free State Province | 5 MW AC | Awarded |
| Globeleq Aurora Sola One | Zambia | 20 MW AC | Awarded |
| Globeleq Aurora Sola Two | Zambia | 20 MW AC | Awarded |
The SOLA team has extensive knowledge regarding:
- Developing projects that meet investor standards
- Completing detailed technical and environmental due diligence
- Successfully raising financing (debt and equity) for solar photovoltaic projects
- Closing project-financed deals