Name of the Project
Ergo solar PV power plant and battery energy storage system (BESS).

Location
The project will be equidistant between the Ergo plant and the Brakpan/Withok tailings storage facility (TSF), in Gauteng, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
DRDGOLD.

Project Description
The project entails upgrading the existing supply line to DRDGOLD’s Ergo plant and Brakpan/Withok TSF to an 88 kVA line, and the construction of an initial 20 MW solar PV plant comprising about 44 000 solar panels (Phase 1). 

Phase 2 of the project is designed to ultimately generate 60 MW of power to supply the Ergo plant and Brakpan/Withok TSF, and includes the installation of the BESS.

The BESS will comprise a lithium battery-based solution, capable of providing up to 160 MWh of power for the Ergo plant and the TSF. 

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
About R2-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
The project is expected to be completed and operational by October 2024.

Latest Developments
The construction of the Ergo solar PV plant remains on schedule, with 20 MW now operational, 40 MW being substantially completed and the addition of 160 MWh BESS under way, DRDGOLD reported in its results for the financial year ended June 30, 2024. 

In the 2024 financial year, this PV facility generated 13 113 650 kWh of energy (10% of Ergo’s consumption).
 
By the 2025 financial year, it will contribute about half of Ergo’s energy consumption, reducing Ergo’s electricity costs by R9/t to R15/t. The BESS will ensure capacity outside of peak sunlight hours.

The PV facility has been tied into the Eskom grid, with the infrastructure that DRDGOLD has developed on behalf of Eskom to facilitate this, handed over to Eskom. This now allows for the wheeling of excess energy generated at Ergo into the national grid, which will help to offset power consumption in the rest of the business.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
R&A Strategic Communications on behalf of DRDGOLD, Jane Kamau, tel +27 11 880 3924 or email jane@rasc.co.za.