Canadian Solar has signed a 256MW module supply agreement with South African independent power producer (IPP) SOLA Group.
Through its majority-owned subsidiary CSI Solar Co., Canadian Solar will supply a total of 390,073 BiHiKu 7 modules to the 126MWp and 130MWp projects, both in South Africa’s North West province. The BiHiKu 7 is a bifacial module based on 210mm wafers, with a reported efficiency of up to 21.6%.
The projects are forecast to generate around 580GWh annually.
“These are the first solar projects of this scale in South Africa that are based on private power purchase agreements,” said Dom Wills, CEO of SOLA Group. “It’s also a great plus for the country that these projects are 100% South African owned, financed, constructed, operated and managed.”
Shawn Qu, chairman of Canadian Solar said: “This is a great achievement and an important step in South Africa’s plan to allow more flexible electricity trading by opening up the grid.”
Canadian Solar recently said that it will focus on n-type TOPcon modules in the future, expecting this technology to account for a third of its shipments in 2023.
Earlier this month, the European Investment Bank announced a financing scheme to support US$400 million worth of renewables investment in South Africa, following an August announcement by the country’s government aimed at easing the addition of renewable energy to its grid.