ESWATINI – Australian renewable energy independent power producer, Frazium Energy, has signed an agreement with the government of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) for the development of a 100 MW solar plant in the Southern African Kingdom.
Frazium Energy says the development will require around €100 million (US$115 million) in investment and will include a battery energy storage system (BESS).
The agreement signed with Eswatini grants Frazium Energy rights to operate the renewable energy facility for 40 years.
“We are so grateful to the government of Eswatini for their support, confidence, and belief in our vision for this project, and we are so excited for the role we can play in Eswatini and Africa’s green energy future,” said Frazium Energy director Robert Frazer.
“Africa’s largest battery is coming, and it is coming to Eswatini. The future is not just bright; it is solar-powered,” added Frazer.
The large-scale solar-plus-storage project is scheduled to be commissioned before the end of 2022 and will be built adjacent to the Edwaleni hydropower plant (HPP) in Matsapha, central Eswatini.
The facility will occupy around 45ha (111 acres) of land and will be equipped with 75,000 solar PV panels, producing more than 100 million kWh of electricity annually.
Some of the generated electricity will possibly be supplied to countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) via the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
SAPP is a cooperation of the national electricity companies in Southern Africa.
Commenting on the conclusion of the agreement, Eswatini’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo said; “Frazer Solar has shown again that it is a friend and partner to Eswatini, and a trusted investor and a true pioneer in the future of our energy sector. The mega solar-storage project will provide a real and tangible benefit to all Emaswati, both in the creation of at least 200 new jobs, and in the provision of green, solar power, and dispatchable electricity across the Kingdom and beyond.”
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