- Co-founder of G7 Renewable Energies and Director of Oya Energy (Pty) Ltd, Dr Killian Hagemann, welcomed the announcement yesterday by the South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Min. Gwede Mantashe, of the winners of the Government’s Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
- Developed by G7 Renewable Energies, the 128MW Oya Energy Hybrid Facility in the Karoo was awarded Preferred Bidder status among seven others – read more
“This is an important milestone for G7. We are incredibly proud of our team and grateful for the support of our world-class partners.” Dr Hagemann said. “It validates our ability to pivot our expertise to develop cutting edge hybrid renewable energy projects in South Africa. After years of G7 spearheading the wind energy industry in the country, the unique opportunity of the RMIPPPP – to provide reliable, low cost, on demand power to South Africa – challenged us to pioneer beyond conventional parameters.”
The Oya project is a unique hybrid facility that will be offering dispatchable renewable energy to Eskom. Oya Energy (Pty) Ltd will own and operate the 128 MW plant near the town of Matjiesfontein, straddling the Western and Northern Cape Provinces. Oya will be one of the largest hybrid energy projects in Africa and is unique in the world in terms of technology mix, size, and price. The Oya Energy Hybrid Project will utilise co-located wind turbines, solar PV arrays, Lithium-Ion batteries and a hybrid controller that orchestrates all three technologies to provide dispatchable power to the grid as and when needed.
Dr Hagemann added: “The Oya project matches and exceeds governments expectations as it is extremely competitive while still complying with all strict requirements set by the IPP office and its advisors, guaranteeing full compliance in terms of South African regulations. Value for money has played a key role in the design choices and operational philosophy and we look forward to the successful completion of the project.”
He further explained that “With Oya we are pushing the boundaries of what renewable energy can provide to electricity grids not only in South Africa but around the world. While in the last few years these technologies have proven to be the cheapest form of generation, some observers continue to criticise wind and solar for its lack of reliability and dependability, especially at times when the grid is under strain. Through its unique combination of co-located wind turbines and PV arrays with a large battery, Oya can provide some power on demand at a lower cost than flexible gas projects and practically without harmful CO2 or other emissions, bringing us closer to our 2050 vision of powering South Africa’s electricity grid on 100% renewables.”
G7 Director Nicolas Rolland said that the site was selected after years of an extensive and rigorous investigation. “The ideal site comprises several factors such as wind and solar resources and their complementarity, suitable topography, grid proximity and capacity, accessibility, as well as limited environmental and permitting constraints,” he said. “Oya embraces all aspects of the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, acknowledging that the programme aims to act as a key driver for long term economic development in the local communities.”
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
