THE development of a green ammonia plant at Coega took another major step forward with the announcement of a successful Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the company’s R14 billion 1,230 MW Crossroads Green Energy cluster.
The group of nine solar PV projects will be situated in a high solar yield area near De Aar in the Northern Cape. Following the successful EIA, the project will commence with the next stage of the grid connection workstream.
This Giga-scale solar project is the consequence of two years’ work by the co-development consortium made up of Hive Hydrogen, Akuo Energy Afrique, Africoast Investments, and Golden Sunshine Trading, whose alliance was formalised earlier this year.
Thulani Gcabashe, chairman of Hive Hydrogen SA, remarked: “The Crossroads Green Energy team has developed this project on time and well within budget – the professionalism and dedication everyone has shown is truly exceptional.”
Don McGillivray, of Africoast Investments added: “Africoast, Golden Sunshine Trading, and Akuo Energy are co-developing a 6,000 MW pipeline of solar and wind energy projects, notably for the Coega Green Ammonia projects. The Crossroads Green Energy cluster is being developed for phase 1 of the Coega Green Ammonia Project, while the remaining projects are moving through a phased development to meet the future demand in Coega and potential other offtakers. We are proud to be working together with Hive Energy to realise these strategic projects.’’
Hive Energy’s R105 billion green ammonia project, designed to produce over 1 million tons a year, is a flagship investment project in South Africa tabled at the Presidential Investment Summit and awarded Strategic Integrated Project Status by the Public Works ministry in November 2022. The project will bring a significant economic boost to South Africa and the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape Provinces.
Africoast Investments is a leading renewable energy developer in South Africa, headquartered in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Among its references, Africoast has successfully developed the 27 MW MetroWind van Stadens and 80 MW Kouga Wind Farm under REI4P in Bid Window 1 and the 110 MW Gibson Bay project developed and won in Bid Window 3.
Africoast maintains a 100 % success rate for wind projects submitted in the REI4P and currently has a development pipeline of renewable energy projects including solar, wind, hydro and biogas.
Golden Sunshine Trading is a development company based in the Northern and Eastern Cape that identifies high potential wind and solar sites in South Africa through negotiations with landowners and farmers.
