Sterling and Wilson,a leading global solar EPC with around 1000 MW of installed solar PV capacity on ground,has commission edits 90 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant in South Africa. The solar power plant commissioned by S&W has been set up for Solar Capital De Aar (Pty) Ltd close to De Aar in the Northern Cape region of South Africa.The project is a part of the Department of Energy’s (DoE)Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPP). This IPP Procurement Program has been designed so as to contribute towards socio-economic and environmentally sustainable growth, and to start and stimulate the renewable industry in South Africa. The commissioning of the project is also a quintessential symbol of partnership between India & South Africa in Solar Energy Sector, marking the beginning of an association between BRICS countries in upcoming technology.
The solar plant will be operational for 20 years and is expected to generate approximately 183000 MWh of power during its first year.While installing the solar power plant S&W employed more than 90%un-skilled employees from the local community. The Power generated by the solar photovoltaic plant will be evacuated at 132 kV voltage level. Sterling and Wilson’s scope of work for this project included turnkey EPC and construction of a 132 kV Substation and 15 km Transmission line including refurbishment of last 5 km line. S&W will also be doing Operation & Maintenance of said plant. The company is already doing O&M activities for 500 MW of projects globally of projects ranging from 1 MW-150 MW. The power produced by the solar plant will be purchased by Eskom, the South African National Utility Company.
Speaking on the commissioning of the 90 MWp solar power plant that has been set up for Solar Capital De Aar 3 (Pty) Ltd. Mr. Bikesh Ogra, President, Sterling and Wilson, Electrical & Solar Business said, “S&W Engineering Pty ltd is BEEE Level 3 Company. We were focused on ensuring that our reputation as a technically competent, quality conscious, and cost effective solar EPC solutions provider is enhanced with each project we deliver. The fact that Sterling and Wilson was selected ahead of well entrenched international solar EPC’s to partner with Solar Capital De Aar 3 (Pty) Ltd in constructing this 90 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant for them is an indicator of our superior engineering and project execution capabilities. We have delivered Solar Capital De Aar 3 (Pty) Ltda technologically advanced and optimized solar power plant within the tight time frame of 10 months.”
One of the major challenges that Sterling and Wilson encountered while planning the project was to find a solution to reduce power generation losses while transmitting the power to the substation situated at a distance. The plant is engineered to work at a high performance ratio of around 80%. Sterling and Wilson has already committed to executing 500 MW of photovoltaic (PV) power plants across different parts of Africa in the coming three years. It has also set up local offices in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and other parts of the African regions as a testament to its commitment of establishing itself as the numero-uno Solar EPC Company in the African Solar Market.
About Sterling and Wilson
Sterling and Wilson is one of the top globally renowned Solar EPC Company having an installed PV capacity of around 1000 MW, with the largest being 90 MWp Solar PV plant in South Africa. It was awarded the “Energize” Indian Power Sector Award for “Excellence in Solar EPC” for the year 2012-13 and 2013-14, as evaluated by Ernst & Young and presented by CNBC-TV 18. It is also recognized as India’s top solar EPC player and globally 9th by IHS Solar Research’s report in Q3, 2015 for Global PV integrators market share (IHS is a world leader in solar market research & analysis). Sterling and Wilson has also been awarded as “Leading Solar EPC Company” by Renewable Energy India Awards 2015 and Inter-solar Award 2015 Solar Projects for 11 MWp Solar PV Plant in Maharashtra.
Presently the company’s pipeline of solar projects covers Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Today Sterling and Wilson, has evolved as a leading MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) Services Company. Some of the iconic projects accomplished are First International Financial Centre (FIFC), Mumbai, Terminal 3 – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, Lulu International Mall, Kochi, Buddha International Circuit, Delhi, Ford India, Gujarat to name a few.
Its range of offerings cover Turnkey MEP projects, Turnkey EPC for Solar power projects , Electrical, HVAC, DG sets from 10 kVA to 3300 kVA, Manufacturing of HT/LT Panels, Plumbing and Fire Fighting, Security and Fire Alarm systems, Mechanical EPC, EBOP Power & Metals and EHV Substations, Distributed Power & Co-generation, Data Centre EPC, Operation & Maintenance and International Operations.
