A consortium of Globeleq, a leading independent power generation company in Africa and Sturdee Energy Southern Africa, an independent power producer focused on renewable energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, confirmed on Wednesday that they have been awarded preferred bidder status for two 15 MWac solar PV projects in Eswatini.
The projects fall in the first tranche of the Kingdom of Eswatini’s procurement programme for new renewable generation capacity.
The Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) officially released the intention to award notice on 14 April 2021 after evaluation of the bids submitted in November 2020. The tender was originally launched in March 2020.
As the first utility scale renewable IPPs in Eswatini, these projects will help stabilise the cost of electricity supply and increase the country’s energy resilience
Jonathan Hoffman, Globeleq’s Chief Development Officer
Jonathan Hoffman, Globeleq’s Chief Development Officer commented: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to support ESERA’s strategy to increase domestic power generation and reduce reliance on imported power. As the first utility scale renewable IPPs in Eswatini, these projects will help stabilise the cost of electricity supply and increase the country’s energy resilience, acting as a strong driver for growth and playing a part in the economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Diversifying Globeleq and Sturdee’s project portfolios
The 15 MWac Balekane and 15 MWac Ngwenya projects will be located on separate parcels of private land in North Western Eswatini, in the Hhohho region, and connected to the existing Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) transmission system. Connection works will be undertaken by the Globeleq-Sturdee consortium and once commissioned, the new transmission lines and associated substation equipment will be transferred to the EEC, which will be responsible for their operation and maintenance.
James White and Andrew Johnson, Sturdee Energy’s Executive Directors, also highlighted that these projects will contribute important diversification to Sturdee’s project portfolio and expand its presence in the SADC region. They are also extremely appreciative of the hard work by the Sturdee and Globeleq teams to deliver such strong bids whilst navigating the challenges of COVID-19.
The two projects are set to add to the growing renewable energy development portfolios of the two IPPs. Sturdee has a renewable energy track record of 600MW of solar projects, whilst Globeleq has built a diverse portfolio of independent power plants. Globeleq currently generates more than 1,400 MW in 28 locations across 6 countries in Africa. The company has around 300 MW in construction in Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya, and a further 2,000 MW of power projects in development.
