The Oya Energy Hybrid Project has successfully reached financial close. The project is expected to deliver clean energy to approximately 180,000 South African homes.
The initiative is a joint initiative between ENGIE, G7 Renewable Energies, Meadows Energy, and Perpetua Investments Holdings and is one of the 11 preferred bidders under South Africa’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme.
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 functional, the Oya Energy Hybrid Project will provide crucial dispatchable energy to the SA grid.
The Oya Energy Hybrid Project stands as a hallmark of sustainable energy innovation. It combines 155 MW of solar PV power, 86 MW of wind power, and 92 MW/242 MWh of 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.
In essence, the groundbreaking plan is based on co-located wind turbines, solar PV arrays, lithium-ion batteries, and a unique hybrid controller. This all-in-one system is uniquely designed to fully control all three technologies, powering up the grid whenever necessary.
The Oya Energy Hybrid Project, Africa’s largest hybrid energy project, is globally unique in technology mix, size, and cost-effectiveness. Its strategic location, abundant natural resources, and advanced battery storage capabilities make it a cost-effective solution.
Mohamed Hoosen, ENGIE Managing Director, Renewables, AMEA, and South Africa Country Manager, commented:
“The Oya Hybrid project is an innovative first-of-its-kind power solution, and ENGIE is pleased to partner with G7 Renewable Energies to build, own, and operate this facility in South Africa. The Oya hybrid project is a testament to ENGIE’s commitment to the long-term low-carbon energy security of South Africa.”
“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.”.
Romaya Dorasamy, Managing Director at Meadows Energy, commented:
“We are thrilled to announce the success of the Oya Project’s financial close. This milestone is a remarkable achievement for Meadows Energy and an enormous step towards a sustainable and innovative energy future. The Oya Project is not just a power generation initiative but a testament to our collective capability to create meaningful change.”
Perpetua Holdings director Logan Govender commented:
“We have forged a solid and true sense of collaboration with our respected partners on the Oya Project, and we are excited by the innovative and high-impact contribution that we are collectively confident it will deliver as part of South Africa’s energy transition.”
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).
