- OptiPower, a division of JSE listed Murray & Roberts, along with Concor Construction, has been awarded contracts by EDF renewables for the construction of the Koruson main transmission substation and the San Kraal and Phezukomoya wind farms.
- M&R’s share of the contracts is valued at R1.2-billion
The San Kraal and Phezukomoya wind energy projects, each with an installed capacity of 140MW, are located in the Umsombomvu Local Municipality on the boundary of the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape Provinces. A third EDF wind project project, which will misses the 60 day deadline stipulated by the country’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy headed by Mr Gwede Mantashe, is expected to reach financial close in early 2023.
The projects, developed by french IPP’s EDF Renewables local division, together with local Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) EPC GIBB-Crede, a unnamed local community trust and its controversial local BEE partner, H1 Holdings, who is named as a BEE partner in no less than 21 of the 25 winning projects bids in the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme Bid Window 5 (REIPPPP BW5). Read more
REIPPPP BW5 has been marked with extended delays, mismanagement and controversy. The fiasco has resulted in significant reputational damage to the country’s once globally respected renewable energy procurement programme. This is no more evident in the response to Bid Window 6 where the number of bidders has dropped by around half compared to Bid Window 5. Read more
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
