Site Selection
Site evaluation and selection is the single most critical aspect of our work; a great site makes for a great project. Site selection is based on many considerations, such as whether the plant is close to the grid, whether the environmental and social conditions associated with the site are favourable, and the what the quality of the available resource is.
Initially, the energy resource can be profiled by referring to satellite data or other sources, such as mesoscale models, but as project development moves forward, ground-based measurements are employed to provide an increased level of confidence in estimated production figures.
Project Development
Once we’ve settled on a great site, the development process begins. We oversee the full suite of permit approvals, including;
- Environmental Impact Assessment.
- Grid Connection.
- Re-zoning Approval.
- Mineral Rights Section 53 Approval.
- Civil Aviation Approvals.
- Water Use License.
Environmental Planning: In preliminary site examination, developers need to take note of the potential environmental impact of their site selection. The potential overall impact on the selected area needs to be considered, as well as the impacts on specific areas within the site. Once a site is seen as suitable from a point of view of overall environmental impact, focus shifts to site planning and in-site mitigation.
Electrical Design: Veld ensures that our plants are designed in line with South Africa’s Grid Code requirements.
Plant Optimisation: for Better Performance: We routinely review our plant designs, ensuring optimal energy yields within the development constraints.
EMI Compliance: We ensure that our power supply systems are complaint with a variety of electromagnetic emission requirements.
The REI4P
Our team has been developing projects for inclusion into the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REI4P) since the programme’s inception in 2011. The programme represents a bold vision that has won
international acclaim for its robustness, transparency, and effectiveness. The program includes an initiative to install 17.8GW of renewable energy in South Africa before 2030. The goal of the REI4P is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while minimising the country’s reliance on non-renewable energy sources such as nuclear and coal. REI4P also works to promote local manufacturing of materials used in the renewable energy sector.
Private Power
We are actively developing a slate of projects for private offtakers, including a 400MW BESS / Wind Farm development in the Western Cape.