Although load shedding and significant power outages have not been a feature in South African life for a while, rapidly increasing electricity tariffs that far outstrip inflation and worries about future energy security are causing sleepless nights for farmers.
At a family-owned farm about three kilometres from Malelane in Mpumalanga, the future is clearer, thanks to their decision to keep production on track and reduce escalating energy costs. It is a move that has resulted in a sizable solar-powered solution.
A lasting power solution
What makes the solar plant at Radley Landgoed unique is that 80% of the solar panels – a massive 3 350 square metres – are located on the surface of one of the estate’s largest irrigation dams.
Yaseen Guman, Standard Bank’s head of business banking client coverage in Mpumalanga, said partnerships like this are aimed at addressing food security in the country.
“The project, financed in partnership with Standard Bank’s Business and Commercial Banking (BCB) division, which was completed in a year, can produce up to 1.8GWh of power and can take the estate, including the farm homesteads, support buildings and staff quarters, entirely off-grid when necessary.
“Conservative estimates show that the project costs will be amortised in about 10 years, and the installation will have a lifespan of about 30 years. Savings began accruing the day the plant went operational, and will increase over time as energy costs increase annually,” Guman said.
Besides the direct advantages that the solar power installation brings to the farm, additional marketing benefits can accrue. Much of the produce grown on the farm is packed at the nearby Malelane Citrus Cooperative, where it is packed for export.
“Because much of Radley Landgoed’s output could benefit from the carbon credits offered by the EU for produce grown with green energy, better prices and increased sales volumes could be achieved. This is good news for a community that relies on agriculture for much of its income and employment,” Guman said.
Renald Radley and his brothers, Wilscott and Henno, are managing the farm which has been in the family for about 80 years. Radley says load shedding was the primary reason they decided to go solar with the estate’s 1 900 hectares of land.
No power disruptions to operations
Farming operations include 157 hectares of citrus orchards, 536 hectares of high sucrose-producing sugarcane, 34 hectares of mango orchards, and a Nguni cattle stud of 105 breeding cows.
“Load shedding was a significant obstacle that created uncertainty and disrupted our daily farming activities. Traditional power sources and outages impacted our ability to irrigate crops, power essential equipment and maintain productivity.
“Going solar with the support of Standard Bank has meant that this uncertainty and the losses that occurred when infrastructure had to be repaired and power was lost for days at a time and resetting, and potential damage to automated systems have also faded into the background,” Radley explained.
He added that the location of solar panels on the irrigation dam offers several advantages and no potentially productive land has had to be set aside for the solar array. Clean energy is generated while irrigation capacity is maintained at optimum levels.
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