- Tharisa, the mining, metals, and innovation company dual-listed on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges, has entered into a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (‘PPA’) for the procurement of wheeled renewable energy for the Tharisa Mine, situated on South Africa’s western limb of the Bushveld Complex.
The 15-year agreement with Etana Energy Proprietary Limited (‘Etana’) will see Etana provide up to 44% of the Tharisa Mine’s electricity energy demand via wheeled energy from wind and solar farms in the Western Cape and Northern Cape using the existing electricity transmission grid. The wheeled energy is planned to come on stream in 2026. This transaction will enable the Tharisa Mine to better manage its power costs and benefit from the renewable energy certificates arising from the transaction.
The wheeled energy will complement the Tharisa Mine’s 40 MW solar power plant being developed by TotalEnergies Renewables South Africa Proprietary Limited and Chariot Transitional Power South Africa Proprietary Limited, which is designed to provide 30% of Tharisa Minerals energy needs.
Importantly, the Etana PPA and the solar project will ensure that Tharisa Minerals’ drive to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 is well within reach while simultaneously guaranteeing pre-determined power costs for a portion of power needs, with up to 76% of Tharisa Minerals’ energy needs being provided by renewable energy from 2026 onwards under these agreements.
Etana was granted an energy trading licence in May 2022 for a period of 25 years and is one of five companies to hold energy trading licences in South Africa. Etana has signed and announced several other customer PPAs, including from other mining ventures and property companies.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
