Scatec completes 540MW solar-plus-storage project in South Africa

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
In February, Scatec sold its 42% equity share in the Upington project in South Africa. Image: Scatec

Norwegian independent power producer (IPP) Scatec has commissioned a 540MW solar-plus-storage project in South Africa.

Located in the Northern Cape province, the Kenhardt project consists of three solar plants and a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 225MW/1,140MWh.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with state-operated utility Eskom signed last year, the project will deliver 150MW of power to the national grid between 5am and 9:30pm.

The project had an investment of nearly US$1 billion and was Scatec’s largest project commitment, with the debt provided by a group of lenders which includes the Standard Bank Group, acting as lead arranger, and British International Investment (BII).

The combination of solar PV with battery storage will allow for dispatchable power to be supplied during peak demand from the battery and improve grid stability, an issue that has been persistent in South Africa for years.

With a strong presence in South Africa, as shown in the chart below, Scatec reached financial close on three solar plants earlier this year which will have a combined capacity of 273MW.

Data on the chart as of the end of fiscal year 2022. Chart: PV Tech.

Terje Pilskog, CEO of Scatec, said: “This is more than just a power plant; it’s a testament to the limitless potential of integrating solar and battery storage to meet the evolving energy needs of today and tomorrow.”

Early in the year, the IPP sold its 42% equity share in a 258MW solar PV project in the country with the capital used to invest in renewables.

Read Next

June 27, 2025
Statkraft has signed PPAs with Better Energy to purchase energy from two solar power plants in Poland with a total capacity of 64GWh.
June 27, 2025
Solar developer Lightsource bp has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a subsidiary of Taiwanese energy firm HD Renewable Energy (HDRE).
June 26, 2025
JUWI Renewable Energies, a subsidiary of German construction group JUWI, has signed a 220MW solar module supply agreement with JA Solar.
June 25, 2025
JinkoSolar has submitted a 133.76MWc solar-plus-storage project in New South Wales to the federal government under the EPBC Act.
June 25, 2025
State-owned firm Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has launched a solar-plus-storage tender seeking 1.2GW of solar PV.
June 24, 2025
Independent power producer (IPP) Recurrent Energy has secured €61.5 million (US$71.4 million) in financing for its Italian renewables portfolio.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico