Infinity Power’s 1.2 million AIKO modules head for three South African plants

AIKO will supply the solar modules for three Infinity Power projects in South Africa totalling 773.5MWp, all awarded in the seventh bid window of the country’s renewable energy procurement programme. It is the companies’ third collaboration in Africa after two in Egypt, and takes their joint portfolio past 2GWp.

Infinity Power and AIKO first worked together on the 258.5MWp Nefer Benban project in Egypt and then on the 1.2GWp Nefer Menya. Their third collaboration takes them to South Africa, where AIKO will supply 1,195,136 of its all back contact modules to three plants totalling 773.5MWp.

All three were awarded under Bid Window 7 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, in which Infinity Power won 1.28GW of solar capacity, the largest allocation among the successful bidders. Each is planned to sell its power to Eskom under a 20-year agreement.

Highveld, in Mpumalanga, has Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy as its EPC contractor and is expected to supply about 167,000 homes. The two Onderstepoort plants, built by PowerChina Guizhou Engineering, are expected to supply about 289,000 between them.

The modules, rated at up to 24.1% efficiency, are expected to generate more than 1,871GWh a year. Ahmed Zakaria, Infinity Power’s director of EPC and strategic procurement, said AIKO’s technology “delivers the efficiency and execution certainty required” as the company works to bring the full portfolio into commercial operation.

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