Rio Tinto’s South African mining company, Richard’s Bay Minerals (RBM), has inked a deal with power company Voltalia that will see the mining firm receive renewable energy.
The signed agreement features construction of 148 megawatt Bolobedu Solar PV project at a site in the province of Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal. The site will have the capacity to generate up to 300 gigawatt hours of renewable energy a year and will feed into the national power grid to supply RBM’s smelting and processing facilities.
Works on the project is scheduled to begin in 2023 and is due to finish by 2024. Voltalia has said it has agreed to ensure local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partners benefit from the agreement, which is due to cut RBM’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10% per year.
Transitioning to clean energy
“We are very pleased to support RBM in its decarbonisation journey. The Bolobedu photovoltaic power plant will be our biggest project in Africa, after performing construction of a series of other solar plants for us or for clients, on the continent (Zimbabwe, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritania and Egypt). This project is the first of our South African large solar-and-wind portfolio under development, in areas with grid connection available, that will be ready to support our clients to overpass the actual energy crisis with affordable, clean and stable electricity,” Voltalia CEO Sébastien Clerc said.
Voltalia added the plant will provide jobs for more than 700 people during construction and around 50 people once the plant becomes operational. The firm added that it aims to source its goods and services locally.
The Bolobedu Solar PV power plant will be 51% black-owned through BEE partners, with a minimum 10% stake going to black women. RBM principally produces 85% pure titanium dioxide slag as well as pig iron and zircon.
Currently South Africa depends on coal for more than 80% of its electricity, but its plan to phase out coal has been hailed as a model for other coal-dependent developing countries seeking to transition to cleaner energy. The government has set up $8.5bn plan for the transition to renewable energy.
