On November 30, 2025, an internationally renowned engineering general contracting (EPC) company successfully won the bid for a large-scale solar power project in South Africa, with a bid amount of 147 million US dollars. As an important component of South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Program (REIPPPP), this project is a key project in the clean energy layout of the African continent. It marks a further enhancement of the competitiveness of international EPC companies in the African new energy market and injects strong impetus into the optimization of South Africa's energy structure and the achievement of carbon neutrality goals.

As the country with the largest economic output in Africa, South Africa's industrial and household electricity demand continues to grow. However, the traditional energy dependence on coal has long existed, and the pressure of energy transformation and emission reduction is prominent. In recent years, the South African government has vigorously promoted the development of renewable energy, making clean energy such as solar and wind energy the core direction of energy structure upgrading. The continuous promotion of the REIPPPP program has attracted the participation of many energy companies around the world. The winning project is located in the solar energy resource rich area of the Northern Cape Province in South Africa, which has an annual sunshine duration of over 3000 hours and a natural advantage for developing large-scale photovoltaic power stations.

According to the project plan, the total installed capacity of the solar power generation project is 300 megawatts (MW), and the main construction contents include the installation of photovoltaic modules, the construction of inverters and booster stations, the supporting energy storage system (optional), and the connection of transmission lines. The project will use efficient monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules and intelligent tracking systems to significantly improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency. It is expected to generate 650 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which can meet the electricity needs of about 300000 households in South Africa. It can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 450000 tons per year, equivalent to reducing the annual emissions of 100000 fuel vehicles. The project construction period is 18 months, and it is planned to be fully completed and put into commercial operation by the end of 2026.

The international EPC company that won the bid this time has been deeply involved in the clean energy field for many years and has rich experience in the design, construction, and operation of large-scale photovoltaic power plants. Previously, it has completed dozens of renewable energy projects in multiple regions such as Asia, Europe, and the Americas. For the South African project, the company will establish an international professional team, develop customized construction plans based on local geological conditions, climate characteristics, and technical standards, strictly follow international engineering standards and South African environmental requirements, and ensure the achievement of project quality, safety, and schedule goals. At the same time, the project will give priority to hiring local labor, conducting technical training and skill transfer, creating approximately 1200 temporary employment positions and 50 long-term operation and maintenance positions for South Africa, and supporting local employment and economic development.

The implementation of the project has multiple strategic significance: at the energy level, it will further expand the scale of clean energy generation in South Africa, reduce dependence on coal, and enhance the stability and security of energy supply; At the environmental level, assist South Africa in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting regional ecological protection and sustainable development; At the industrial level, it will drive the export of related industrial chains such as photovoltaic modules and energy storage equipment, deepen energy cooperation between China (or corresponding countries of international enterprises) and South Africa, and add new cases for clean energy cooperation under the framework of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation.Editor/Bian Wenjun