Inside South African Wind - South Africa awards wind energy and hydro projects to Building Energy

Building Energy, Italian independent power producer from renewable sources, has been awarded preferred bidder status in the round four of the South African Department of Energy Renewable Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Programme for a wind and a mini-hydro project.

The company will finalize development and implement a 140 MW wind project in Roggeveld, in an area between the Northern and Western Cape Provinces, which will generate 590 GWh per year. The Italian Group will also build a 4.7 MW small-hydro project in Kruisvallei, in the Free State Province, which will produce 36 GWh per year once fully operational.

In the past years, the company had already been awarded a solar farm in Kathu and a biomass facility in Mkuze respectively in the first and third round of the REIPPP programme. The newly-awarded projects make Building Energy the first renewable energy IPP to deliver projects across four different generation technologies: photovoltaic, biomass, wind and hydro.

Building Energy operates in several countries all over the world but has a particularly strong presence in Africa. After opening its office in Cape Town, the company has been managing and coordinating the development and realization of more than 30 projects in South Africa and in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa including Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Camerun and Lesotho. Building Energy’s main projects, both in South Africa, are an 81 MWp photovoltaic project in Kathu, one of the largest solar park on the continent, and a 16,5 MWe biomass plant in Mkuze, the first and largest biomass facility in Africa. Exploiting the expertise and knowledge of the South African market acquired through these major projects, Building Energy aims to take on more opportunities in South Africa and its neighbouring countries. The company has, in fact, recently announced the construction of the first photovoltaic plant in Uganda, a 10MWp solar farm in Tororo.

“We are excited about the news of being awarded the Roggeveld wind project and the Kruisvallei small-hydro project and honoured that South Africa has decided once again to rely on our company.” – said Matteo Brambilla, Building Energy Managing Director Africa – “Winning this bid is particularly important to Building Energy because it makes us the first IPP to deliver projects across four different technologies, showing our expertise and ability to deliver great results but also rewarding our efforts and commitment in this Country, which can offer a lot to the renewable energies market.”

BUILDING ENERGY
Building Energy is an independent producer of energy from renewable sources with a large portfolio of renewable plants in operation, construction and development, with a total pipeline in excess of 2,200MW in Europe, Africa, Central and North America and recently in MENA and Asia. In South Africa, Building Energy won the contract for the biggest photovoltaic project on the African continent – 81 MW in Kathu – in the first round of the REIPP, the South African government’s incentive program for the production of renewable energy. The PV plant has been operating since August 2014.

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