R6.5bn renewables boost as construction starts at Biotherm plants

Loading player...
South Africa’s internationally admired renewable energy programme was jumpstarted by the Ramaphosa administration, with the new president’s immediate deployment of a new Minister helping to accelerate the latest agreement with the private sector.

Biotherm Energy, a participant in the very first Renewables round back in 2011, returned to the fray for the latest edition. But with Round Four dragging on four two years, when the green light finally came, Biotherm needed a different BEE solution. That opened the way for a new association between the leading Renewables group and a well established RMB and Thebe partnership.

With the funding completed the construction phase of a R6.5bn investment now begins, with four new plants built, adding 283 megawatts to the South African grid. Solar plants will be built in the Northern Cape at Konkoonsies – 86 mw – and Aggneys – 45MW. And winds generating plants in the Cape at Bedford – 120 mw - and Swellendam – 32Mw.

In this special podcast we hear from RMB transactor Mphokolo Makara who was intimately involved in shepherding the all important financial side of the transaction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 Oct 2018 2PM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

David Lupafya: the Land Bank backed black farmers, then pulled the rug

David Lupafya spent 25 years at AT&T, Microsoft and Lockheed Martin before coming home to grow grain on 1,300 hectares outside Potchefstroom. He did what careful farmers do: planned a season ahead and put more than R5 million of his own money down on tractors, a combine and implements, counting…
30 Sep 11AM 29 min

Ian Cameron - You lied blatantly, Mr President

In his latest interview with Chris Steyn, Ian Cameron, the chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, has a very blunt response to President Cyril Ramaphosa's latest address to the nation in which he outlined measures to deal with gender-based violence: “The president lied”. One “blatant lie” was increased police…
30 Sep 10AM 20 min

Rory Steyn on who really runs South African sport

In two years, Comrades runners threw out a board accused of vote-buying and steering tenders to friends, and cut ties with the provincial and national athletics bodies to run their own race. Swimming South Africa had to wait for an integrity panel in Switzerland to act. Rory Steyn, Nelson Mandela's…
29 Sep 11AM 39 min