Renewable-energy company SolarAfrica's 114 MW SunCentral 1 plant, in the Northern Cape, has reached commercial operation.

This is an important step for the company's move to delivery and operation of utility-scale renewable-energy projects, says SolarAfrica CEO David McDonald.

SunCentral 1 is the first of three 114 MW solar facilities that make up the first 342 MW phase of SolarAfrica’s flagship SunCentral development, which is expected to comprise up to 1 GW of renewable-energy capacity at full scale, supplying multiple commercial and industrial customers through one-to-many wheeling.

Heavy and civil engineering construction company PowerChina served as the principal solar contractor for SunCentral 1, from construction and commissioning to commercial operation.

SolarAfrica and PowerChina say they look forward to continued collaboration to support the smooth delivery of future phases and to contribute to local economic and social development.

“Getting a project of this scale to commercial operation requires many moving parts to come together. We worked closely with PowerChina and other partners such as Proconics NewFields, Eskom, the National Transmission Company South Africa and DNV throughout construction, testing and commissioning to resolve issues as they arose and keep the programme moving,” says SolarAfrica chief delivery officer Fana Tlhalepe.

PowerChina’s utility-scale solar record and technical capability, paired with SolarAfrica’s in-house expertise and project development experience, were central to delivering the project, Tlhalepe adds.

SunCentral 1 and its associated transmission infrastructure was completed in August.

The project saw 548 856 solar panels installed, and 655 local community members employed. Additionally, 80 small, medium-sized and microenterprises from De Aar and Hanover are participating in a training programme.

Community initiatives undertaken as part of the project include support for local schools and the donation of 60 wheelchairs across five facilities.

Work on the remainder of the development will continue, with SunCentral 2 in the later stages of construction and construction on SunCentral 3 expected to begin shortly.

“Our focus now is on bringing the remaining capacity in Phase 1 online as we continue to build towards the longer-term 1 GW vision. SolarAfrica remains committed to giving businesses greater choice in how they procure their energy, with access to cleaner power that can help them manage costs while building greater certainty into their long-term energy strategy,” says McDonald.