The South African government is looking for independent power producers to build and operate floating or ground-mounted PV projects at selected government waterworks infrastructure or damns. The projects should be operational for 20 years.

PV project in Northern Cape, South Africa.

Image: Gransolar

South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation has launched an expression of interest for independent power producers (IPPs) to design, build, finance, and operate renewable energy projects across 19 locations, including government waterworks buildings and damns.

The acceptable renewable sources are floating or ground-mounted PV, hydropower, and wind. The projects can be either standalone or grid-connected. The department “intends to procure new electricity generation capacity from IPP to reduce the ongoing and increasing cost of energy and the reliance on electricity from the grid,” according to the tender document.

Prospective providers have until April 18 to submit their offers. Successful projects should be operational for 20 years.

Last December, South Africa’s Eskom kicked off a tender for 36.5 MW/146 MWh of storage. The country has recently introduced a rebate scheme for rooftop PV in an attempt to address the severe load-shedding challenges it has been facing.