German renewable energy developer, PNE AG, has sold its 240 MW Khauta solar PV project in the Free State province of South Africa to local energy firm NOA Group Ltd. According to PNE, the project will be fully developed by mid-2024, and the company will continue to support the project’s development.
PNE was developing the project through its subsidiary WKN Windcurrent. The german renewable energy developer has a significant pipeline of up to 4 GW in renewable energy projects South Africa. The company also revealed its involvement in the development of two South African green hydrogen projects.
“We are delighted that we are able to successfully follow up on the sale of projects in our international markets in 2024. South Africa is an exciting market. With NOA, we have a strong partner with whom we are one step closer to a secure power supply through clean energy,” said Markus Lesser, CEO PNE AG.
NOA provides renewable energy to customers in the commercial and industrial sectors. The project will be the first large-scale renewable energy project in its portfolio.
“The Khauta project will be a pioneering project for NOA as it will be the first large-scale (>100MW) solar facility entering the NOA aggregator portfolio. As NOA, together with the support of our shareholder, African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), we aspire to make a meaningful contribution towards solving the immediate energy supply deficit in South Africa,” said Karel Cornelissen, CEO of NOA.
The Free State province’s economy is primarily characterised by strong mining and agricultural sectors. Whilst PNE did not reveal the offtakers for the power generated by the project, it’s most likely that the project will target the mining clients in the province and large energy-intensive companies.
The Khauta solar PV project is expected to cover approximately 629 ha of buildable area with solar plants up to eight meters high.
PNE’s WKN Windcurrent received Environmental Authorisations (EAs) for the Khauta solar PV project in June last year. WKN Windcurrent revealed that Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) were included in its Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) application.
