Riversdale in WC to supply businesses and residents with solar power

Riversdale in the Western Cape will become the first small town in the country to supply its businesses and residents with solar power. A sod-turning ceremony was held for the R210 million, 10-megawatt solar farm, which will consist of about 20 000 solar panels and battery energy storage.

Representatives from national, provincial and local government attended the event.

The country has been loadshedding-free for more than 300 consecutive days but the energy crisis is far from over.

The Western Cape wants to become less dependent on Eskom through its energy resilience programme.

The province is leading the way in energy innovation.

“The Western Cape is an example for renewable energy in other provinces,” says Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy Samantha Graham-Maré.

The solar farm will ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the town and is already attracting more investment and development opportunities.

The first phase is expected to supply power to local businesses, by the start of next year. And after three years, it should be rolled out to all residents of the Hessequa region.