- 219 MWDC solar PV facility with 150 MWAC contracted export capacity reaches financial close.
- 478 GWh of clean power annually to supply Etana Energy customers nationwide.
Mulilo has reached financial close on the 219 MWDC Orkney Solar PV Facility, located about 11 km south west of Orkney in South Africa’s North West Province. The project has a contracted export capacity of 150 MWAC and marks a significant step in the company’s strategy to deliver 1 GW of new generation capacity annually.
A Power Purchase Agreement has been concluded with Etana Energy in record time, underlining market confidence in the project’s technical and commercial structure and in both companies’ ability to execute efficiently.
Once operational, the facility is expected to generate approximately 478 GWh of renewable electricity per year.
The project will connect to the Jersey Distribution Substation via a newly constructed 24 km overhead transmission line, enabling integration into the regional grid. The facility has also been designed to be battery energy storage ready, allowing for future integration of storage capacity to improve grid flexibility and dispatch capability.
The project has been backed by shareholders Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Norfund, alongside funding and advisory partners including Absa Bank, Standard Bank South Africa, Fasken, Arup, PepperTree Capital and ENS Africa.
Jan Fourie, Chief Executive Officer of Mulilo, said the financial close represents a key milestone in strengthening South Africa’s energy security and highlights the growing role of private sector generation in addressing the country’s power challenges.
Jay Govender, Chief Commercial and Legal Officer at Etana Energy, said the Orkney plant is more than double the size of the first solar project currently under construction between the two companies, adding that the speed to financial close reflects the strength of the partnership and rising demand for reliable, large scale renewable electricity through Etana’s platform.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
