Name of the Project
Zondereinde solar photovoltaic (PV) project.

Location
Limpopo, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
JSE-listed Northam Platinum Holdings. 

Development is in collaboration with an independent power producer through a power purchase agreement, which will fund the construction and then manage the installations. 

Project Description
The development of an 80 MW solar power farm is in progress.

The plant will deliver 220 GWh/y of energy directly into Zondereinde’s mining and smelting operations, independent of State-owned entity Eskom’s grid, reducing the operation’s carbon footprint by 22%.

Further benefits include significant cost savings and reduced power supply risk.

Power will be supplied behind the Eskom meter, and will, thus, not be subject to load curtailment.

The project is part of a broader strategy to reduce Northam’s environmental impact while securing the supply of bulk services.

This includes a reduction in carbon intensity by 60% from a 2019 baseline by 2030, while improving power availability and decreasing overall electricity costs.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction has started and the plant will start supplying electricity to Zondereinde from December 2025.

Latest Developments
The area south of the metallurgical complex at Northam’s Zondereinde mine has been cleared for the construction of the first of the company’s 80 MW solar power farms.

Northam plans to halve the R2.6-billion a year that it spends on power, with its recently also having clinched two further renewable-energy agreements: 140 MW from a wind farm, close to Sutherland, in the Western Cape, and 80 MW of wheeled solar power, scheduled to be operational in 2027.

By then 60% of energy used at Northam’s operations will be renewable, and the group's carbon intensity will have been reduced by 60%.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
R&A Strategic Communications, on behalf of Northam Platinum, tel +27 11 880 3924 or email northam@rasc.co.za.