| Boikanyo Solar Power Station | |
| Country: | South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -29.0072°N 23.8058°W |
| Location: | Douglas, Siyancuma, Pixley ka Seme District, Northern Cape Province |
| Status: | O |
| Construction Began: | April 2020 |
| Commissioned: | 9 April 2021 |
| Owner: | Boikanyo Solar Company |
| Solar Type: | PV |
| Ps Site Area: | 168ha |
| Ps Units Operational: | 184,000 |
| Ps Thermal Capacity: | 152 GWh |
| Ps Electrical Capacity: | 50MW |
The Boikanyo Solar Power Station is a 50MW solar power plant in South Africa. It is a grid-connected, privately owned and privately funded solar power station.[1] The power station, which took about one year to construct, reached "grid code compliance" on 9 April 2021 and provided 450 construction jobs.[2]
The power station is located near the town of Douglas, in Siyancuma Local Municipality, in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.[1] This is approximately 116km (72miles), by road, southwest of Kimberly, the provincial headquarters of Northern Cape Province. Douglas is located approximately 595km (370miles), by road, southwest of Johannesburg, the country's business capital.
The power station sits on 168ha of "low vale farmland". It comprises 184,000 solar panels, capable of collectively generating 152 GWh annually, enough to supply 62,000 South African homes. The power is evacuated via a 132kV high voltage transmission line to the Siyancuma substation, where the energy is integrated into the national grid. Eskom, the national electricity utility company of South Africa buys the generated electricity, under a twenty-year power purchase agreement.[1]
The power station was developed by a consortium, which owns the station and has formed a special purpose vehicle company by the name: Boikanyo Power Company. The consortium comprises the corporate entities listed in the table below.[1] [3]
| 1 | Reatile Solar Power | |
| 2 | Phakwe Solar | |
| 3 | African Rainbow Energy and Power | |
| 4 | Cicada Community Trust | |
| 5 | ||
This power station was licensed under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Purchasing Programme (REIPPP). This program was designed by the Government of South Africa, with the objective of attracting "private investment in the renewable energy sector".[1] [3]
The same consortium of all South African-based IPPs was granted concessions to develop renewables as illustrated in the table below.[1] [3]
| 1 | De Wildt Solar Power Station | 50 MW | Operational[4] | ||
| 2 | Waterloo Solar Power Station | Solar | 75 MW | Operational[5] | |
| 3 | Bokamoso Solar Power Station | Bokamoso | Solar | 68 MW | Operational[6] |
| 4 | Solar | 75 MW | Operational[7] | ||
| 5 | Boikanyo Solar Power Station | Douglas | Solar | 50 MW | Operational |