Meet Africa’s first multi-buyer wheeling facility

From the newsletter

Small companies in South Africa can now buy renewables via the grid thanks to virtual wheeling from a new 195 MW solar plant. The Springbok Solar Power Project, launched ahead of schedule by SOLA Group, is the first in Africa to supply multiple firms with clean energy through the national grid. This could revolutionise how renewables are bought and sold.

• Virtual wheeling enables the delivery of renewable energy from an Independent Power Producer (IPP) to a buyer without requiring a direct physical connection or amendments to existing electricity supply agreements for each off-take site.

• Large early adopters of virtual wheeling include telecommunications company Vodacom, which signed an agreement with utility Eskom in 2023. More firms are expected to adopt the models as regulatory frameworks solidify.

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