South Africa’s Renergen has accused a solar energy project of “unauthorized construction” at a location where the natural gas producer has a production right.
Renergen “expressed concerns” about the construction of the Springbok Solar project “in an area identified for future natural gas extraction,” the company said in a statement issued through the JSE.
“In the case of the Springbok Solar project, construction started without our prior consent or a coexistence agreement,” Renergen said, without naming the developer.
SOLA Group lists the 150 MW Springbok project in Virginia in the Free State as under construction on its website. The company could not immediately comment.
The dispute highlights South Africa’s transition from coal dependence to a broader range of technologies, including natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy projects. The country is predicted to add 50 GW of wind and solar power plants by 2030 to replace some of the generation from the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel.
Renergen sees itself as contributing to the country’s decarbonization path with the production of natural gas rich in helium, which is “essential in the production of solar panels and wind turbines,” CEO Stefano Marani said in the statement.
Read: Namibia is going to build a gigantic solar park in the southern desert
Other solar facilities and battery energy storage systems are planned within Renergen’s manufacturing jurisdiction, the company said. — Paul Burkhardt, (c) 2024 Bloomberg LP
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