The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) in South Africa has named Oya Energy as one of the eight preferred bidders in the government’s Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
Oya Energy will own and operate the 128MW plant near the town of Matjiesfontein, straddling the Western and Northern Cape Provinces. The plant will be the largest hybrid energy project in Africa and is unique in the world in terms of technology mix, size, and price.
Director of Oya Energy, Dr Killian Hagemann, welcomed the announcement and said that the Oya project matches and exceeds government’s expectations in the RMIPPPP as it is extremely competitive while still complying with all strict requirements set by the IPP Office and its advisors, guaranteeing full compliance in terms of South African regulations. According to the director, value for money played a key role in the design choices and operational philosophy of the project.
Read: DMRE in South Africa announces opening of Bid Window 5 of REIPPPP
Oya
“While in the last few years these technologies have proven to be the cheapest form of generation, some observers continue to criticize wind and solar for its lack of reliability and dependability, especially at times when the grid is under strain,” he said.
“Through its unique combination of co-located wind turbines and PV arrays with a large battery, Oya can provide some power on demand at a lower cost than flexible gas projects and practically without harmful CO2 or other emissions, bringing us closer to our 2050 vision of powering South Africa’s electricity grid on 100% renewables,” he added.
The key strength of Oya’s location is its natural resources together with relative proximity to the national grid. The project also falls within the Komsberg Renewable Energy Development Zone (REDZ).
