We are pleased to announce that the groundbreaking and innovative Oya Energy project has reached financial close on Tuesday, 13 February 2024. The Oya Energy Hybrid Project will be jointly owned and operated by ENGIE (35%), G7 Renewable Energies (20%), Meadows Energy (22,5%) and Perpetua Investment Holdings, (22,5%) and is one of the 11 preferred bidders under South Africa’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
In 2023, Oya Energy signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Eskom and an Implementation Agreement with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in South Africa. Once operational, the Oya Energy Hybrid Project will provide essential dispatchable energy to the South African grid.
The Oya Energy Hybrid Project stands as a pioneering example of sustainable energy innovation. It combines 155 MW of solar PV power, 86 MW of wind power, and a 94 MW / 242 MWh battery energy storage, all within a single location. This greenfield development spans the Western and Northern Cape Provinces, between the towns of Ceres and Sutherland in South Africa.
At the heart of this groundbreaking project are co-located wind turbines, solar PV arrays, lithium-ion batteries, and a cutting-edge hybrid controller. This integrated system efficiently orchestrates all three technologies, providing dispatchable power to the grid as and when needed. Not only is the Oya Energy Hybrid Project the largest hybrid energy project of its kind in Africa, but it is also globally unique in terms of its technology mix, size, and cost-effectiveness. Its strategic location boasts abundant natural resources and proximity to the grid connection point, complemented by advanced battery storage capabilities.
“This is a momentous milestone for G7 and its partners in the Oya Project,” said Dr Kilian Hagemann, CEO of G7. “We are incredibly proud of our team and grateful for the support of our partners. As the original developer of Oya since 2015, G7 led the visionary complex hybrid technical modelling, supplementing the originally planned stand-alone wind farm with optimally sized battery storage and photovoltaic to deliver this first-of-its-kind project. The Oya Hybrid Energy Project demonstrates our expertise and ability to develop complex and efficient hybrid renewable energy projects in South Africa. We look forward to the completion of this state-of-the-art project”.
Dr Hagemann added that “This project represents the blueprint of a carbon neutral, 100% renewable future power grid – dominated by solar PV, supplemented by large amounts of wind power and storage capacity for balancing surpluses and shortfalls to provide all the power our economy needs without resorting to any fossil fuels. It’s the first time that renewables are providing baseload power.”
The Project will deliver clean power to approximately 180,000 South African homes. It will accelerate the country’s transition to renewable power generation and reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 573 105 tonnes annually, the equivalent of 72 680 cars on the road. The Project falls within the Komsberg Renewable Energy Development Zone (REDZ). COD is expected to be in the last quarter of 2025.
News Coverage: