The first photovoltaic (PV) energy farm in the North West province has been launched and is expected to supply 7 MW of power to the national power grid once it becomes fully operational in November.

The RustMo1 solar farm, located some 22 km outside of Rustenburg, generated power through the use of eleven inverters and 29 808 PV solar modules, with a step-up transformer connected to the 88 kV substation.

It is expected to produce 244 643 MWh of energy over the 20-year contract period.

South African black-owned development company Momentous Energy was awarded the project by the Department of Energy in 2011, as part of the first round of its Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

The company said the key criteria for selecting the site for a solar PV plant was its proximity to the Eskom grid connection and national grid infrastructure, as well as the fact that it offered the favourable insolation levels, and moderate temperatures required for solar photovoltaic technologies.

The project was jointly funded by Nedbank and The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in terms of broad-based black economic-empowerment (BEE) equity funding, which was provided in the form of preferential share funding.

Additional funding was provided by energy-sector focused financier Evolution One.

“In addition, through the facilitation of investment promotion agency Invest North West, the project has also been included in the draft North West Provincial Renewable Energy Strategy, from which additional financing can be sourced,” Momentous said in a statement on Tuesday.

Energy Minister Dipuo Peters, who attended the launch event on Tuesday, lauded the project as an example of the potential of renewable energy.