Italeaf Group, the parent company of TerniEnergia has announced news of the early completion of the first of two giant photovoltaic (PV) worksites in South Africa. Paleisheuwel is one of two large-scale solar facilities being built for Italian renewable energy company Enel Green Power, a unit of the Enel group.
Its South African subsidiary, TerniEnergia SpA has successfully completed the PV plant in the Western Cape of South Africa, ahead of its forecasted completion date. TerniEnergia also holds a renewable four-year contract for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the 82.5 MWp-capacity plant.
The site of Paleisheuwel, situated across a 240-hectar area of the Western Cape Province, has employed the forces of 500 workers to install the 611,000 photovoltaic PV panels, an overall total of 101,850 structures, as well as, 7 million kg of metallic carpentry and 3000 km of electric cabling in the process.
TerniEnergia subcontracted 6 companies for the installation, ensuring compliance with local regulations and the promotion of political participation. Paleisheuwel is now connected to the South African grid, managed by South African power utility, Eskom.
Paleisheuwel and its fellow South African PV plant are reportedly among the two projects for which Enel Green Power secured power supply contracts in the third phase of the South African Government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), back in October 2013.
The second of the plants will be a 66 MW solar park in Tom Burke, located in South Africa’s Northern Province, virtually on the border with Botswana. The reported investment in the PV plants will amount to approximately $197 million, representing a vast investment in the country’s photovoltaic activity.
Italian smart energy company, TerniEnergia, part of Italeaf Group, is an active player within numerous areas of renewable energy; energy efficiency, waste and energy managements and particularly within the PV segment. TerniEnergia has earned their position as one of Italy’s leading operators, having worked with over 76 nationwide industrial and municipal groups. The company features amongst the Star segment of the Italian Stock Exchange.