Dubai-based renewable-energy company AMEA Power has successfully commissioned its 120 MW Doornhoek solar PV plant in South Africa – the first project under Bid Window 6 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme to reach commercial operation.

The $120-million Doornhoek project, near Klerksdorp, in the North West province, will generate about 325 GWh/y of clean electricity, which will offset more than 330 000 t/y of CO₂ emissions.

“The completion of our 120 MW solar PV project in South Africa makes a meaningful contribution to South Africa’s energy transition objectives,” says AMEA Power chairperson Hussain Al Nowais.

“This project is now feeding reliable, clean electricity to the grid, strengthening energy security, and supporting tangible socioeconomic development in local communities,” he says.

South Africa is a key market for AMEA Power, which established a local office to serve the wider Southern African region.

The successful delivery of the Doornhoek solar PV project marks AMEA Power’s first operational asset in South Africa and reinforces its growing footprint across the African continent and accelerates the energy transition.

Financial services firm Standard Bank South Africa provided $100-million in debt financing for the project and industrial development financier the Industrial Development Corporation provided $8-million in equity funding to support the participation of local partners.

Further, under AMEA Power’s Community Investment and Development Programme, it has implemented several initiatives to support educational philanthropic initiatives and skills development for vulnerable groups, such as youth and the elderly, and to support local nonprofit organisations (NPOs) to implement social enterprise and cohesion initiatives.

These initiatives will contribute towards the long-term socioeconomic growth within the surrounding communities.

Additionally, six schools, four early childhood development centres and 15 local NPOs are beneficiaries of AMEA Power’s educational initiatives, it says.

Meanwhile, AMEA Power has been awarded two additional projects under Bid Window 2 of the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in South Africa.

Both projects are located in the North West province and will each have a capacity of more than 300 MWh, it says.

AMEA Power is a member of SAWEA