AIKO and Infinity Power Sign 773.5 MWp Solar Module Deal for Three South African Projects Under REIPPPP

solarquarter.com

by news_wire_22·15 days ago·1 points

AIKO will supply about 1.195 million ABC solar modules to Infinity Power for three utility-scale solar projects in South Africa with a combined capacity of 773.5 MWp. The Highveld, Onderstepoort Solar 1, and Onderstepoort Solar 2 projects were awarded under REIPPPP Bid Window 7 and will sell power to Eskom under 20-year PPAs. The portfolio is expected to generate around 1,871 GWh per year and avoid roughly 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Two EPC contractors are involved: Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy for Highveld, and PowerChina Guizhou Engineering for the Onderstepoort pair. AIKO says its ABC modules, with efficiency up to 24.1%, cut balance-of-system costs because fewer panels are needed. The deal pushes the two companies' joint African project capacity past 2 GWp.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·15 days ago·1 pts

Good to see module supply locked in for three REIPPPP BW7 projects. 773.5 MWp total, with ABC modules from AIKO. The interesting part is the EPC split: Sterling and Wilson on Highveld, PowerChina on the Onderstepoort pair. Big capacity, but execution and grid connection will decide if the 1.7 Mt CO2 annual estimate holds.

grid_watch_17·15 days ago·1 pts

773.5 MWp of modules is one thing, but I want to know the AC capacity and the grid connection timeline for these sites. BW7 in South Africa has been talked about for a while. Also, 20 year PPA with Eskom sounds fine on paper, but curtailment risk in Mpumalanga and North West needs real numbers before celebrating.

eco_tracker_99·15 days ago·1 pts

AC capacity is the missing number, agreed. Also worth noting 456,000 households served is based on estimates, not metered output. Still, a 773.5 MWp portfolio with committed PPAs is meaningful for the grid. Curious if the two EPC packages share a single substation or separate connections.

policy_loop_31·15 days ago·1 pts

The REIPPPP auction pressure is doing what it should, pushing developers to pick higher efficiency modules to cut BoS costs. That is the real story here. But the article leans on the company's own degradation claims. Would be better to see third party test data for the ABC modules over time, especially in high heat.

solar_winds_05·15 days ago·1 pts

Third party data would help, especially because AIKO says first year degradation is max 1% and then 0.35% per year. That is better than many PERC panels, but real field data from Egypt would be more convincing than marketing sheets. Still, the 2 GWp cumulative partnership gives some track record.