In a joint media statement, PMC and the IPP, Mzanzi Energy Consortium, said they foresee the project to bring cost-efficient, secure, green energy and significant social upliftment for Ba-Phalaborwa and its surrounding communities and once deployed, the project will be one of South Africa’s largest private IPP’s. Marula Green Power is is expected to reach financial closure in the second quarter of 2023 and will commence operations in the second quarter of 2024. The first phase is planned to come online from second quarter of 2024 and will reduce load-reduction power cuts for PMC, the statement reads.

Parallel to the first phase, the second phase is the construction of the 132MWp solar plant and transmission lines to PMC, which is set to be commissioned from the fourth quarter of 2024. They said that the Marula Green Power plant will be funded through a limited recourse project finance structure with zero cost to the mine. “These timelines are preliminary at this stage and may change based on the outcome of the detailed feasibility study,” said Wessel Wessels, CEO of Journey2Green, a founding partner of Mzansi Energy.
The plant will be based just outside the Namakgale township.

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“The location was strategically chosen to allow for direct supply to the mine without connection to the Eskom grid,” Wessels said.
Mzansi Energy has partnered with the local traditional authority to host the solar plant on its land and will enter into a long-term lease with the authority on condition that socio-economic benefits are available for all of Ba-Phalaborwa’s communities with regard to business opportunities for SMME’s, skills transfer, development and job creation the statement said.

During the project roll-out phases, many direct and indirect employment opportunities will be created and local suppliers in Ba-Phalaborwa will also be exposed to available business opportunities.
Based on initial estimates, the project is expected to create about 500 to 750 fixed-term employment opportunities during construction and approximately 35 permanent jobs during the operation and maintenance over the 12-year contract period that Mzanzi Energy will operate the plant.

Mzansi Energy’s corporate social responsibility will, according to the statement, “assist qualifying entrepreneurs in establishing themselves as fully-fledged businesses after their involvement in the project construction phase with a long-term maintenance contract to support the site”.
Funds for skills development, youth development and community development initiatives, will be made available and a agrivoltaics farming project is planned at the plant to improve food security and reduce poverty among local people.