A new 5 MW hydropower plant near Clarens in the Free State is now supplying renewable electricity directly to commercial buildings via the national grid the first hydropower facility in South Africa to be integrated into a building-level wheeling solution. The Boston Hydro plant began commercial operations on October 17.
Developed and operated by Serengeti Energy on the Ash River within the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, the run-of-river plant is expected to generate about 30 GWh of electricity annually. Under a private power purchase agreement PPA, trader Etana Energy wheels the electricity to Growthpoint Properties, which has signed a long-term offtake agreement and acquired a 30 equity stake in the project.
Boston Hydro uses a controlled flow from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project to provide baseload renewable power. With upstream storage equivalent to roughly three years water supply, the scheme ensures stable generation and reduces exposure to rainfall variability and climate-related risks, Anton-Louis Olivier , CEO of Serengeti Energy, says. The plant can pass around 40 tonnes of water per second at a head of 16 m.