Richards Bay Minerals media statement:
Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) will be supplied with renewable solar power under an agreement with international energy company Voltalia and local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partners for its operations in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal.
Under the agreement, Voltalia will begin construction of the Bolobedu Solar PV renewable energy project in 2023, at a site around 120 kilometres east of Polokwane, Limpopo. The power plant is scheduled to be complete by 2024 and will deliver an annual generation capacity of up to 300GWh. It will feed into the national power grid to supply RBM’s smelting and processing facilities, through a wheeling agreement in line with the recent amendment to the Electricity Regulation Act.
The renewable solar power supply is expected to cut RBM’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 per cent, or 237kt per year.
RBM Managing Director Werner Duvenhage said: “This agreement is a first step towards reducing RBM’s carbon emissions through the use of renewable solar power, so that we contribute to a net zero future. We look forward to working with Voltalia as it develops this solar power plant and delivers significant benefits for communities.”
Voltalia CEO Sébastien Clerc said: “We are very pleased to support RBM in its decarbonisation journey. The Bolobedu photovoltaic power plant will be our biggest project in Africa, after performing construction of a series of other solar plants for us or for clients, in the continent (Zimbabwe, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritania and Egypt). This project is the first of our South African large solar-and-wind portfolio under development, in areas with grid connection available, that will be ready to support our clients to overpass the actual energy crisis with affordable, clean and stable electricity.”
Voltalia will work to ensure the Bolobedu Solar PV project creates local employment opportunities for the surrounding communities. A total workforce of more than 700 people is expected during construction, with a workforce of around 50 people once the plant becomes operational.
The project will provide skills development opportunities for members of the surrounding communities, and a bursary programme for young local learners. In support of South Africa’s growing renewable energy sector value chain, Voltalia will also work to source its goods and services locally.
The Bolobedu Solar PV power plant will be 51% black-owned through BEE partners, with a minimum 10% stake going to black women, while the host community will also have a participation.
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