The International Integrated Chemicals and Energy Company, Sasol, has called for bidders to participate in developing two 10 megawatts (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities in South Africa.

The closing date in the Request for Proposals (RFOs) process from Sasol is October 2nd 2020. Interested companies are to send a profile of their company and contact details to solarpvfarm@sasol.com.

Successful bidders will be the owners of the plant and will be responsible for the designing, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the plant. The facilities will also be connected to Sasol at their own cost. The suppliers are to operate as Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and sign long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Sasol.

The successful bidders are to install one solar PV set at Secunda, Mpumalanga, and the other will be installed at Sasolburg, Free State. Sasol’s facilities at both plant processes coal using electricity by increasing its temperature to 1,300 degrees celsius, to produce synthetic gas; this is used as a component in synthetic fuels and chemicals.

Speaking on the invitation to bidders, The Chief Sustainability Officer of Sasol, Hermann Wenhold said, “We are excited to launch the RFP, which forms part of our broader greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction aspiration and moves us forward on our journey to achieving our target of a 10% GHG emission reduction by 2030.”

Sasol earlier tested the market’s interest in May after it released a Request for Information (RFI) for the supply by potential IPPs of about 600 MW of renewable energy. After the release by the company yesterday August 3rd 2020, it said the RFP is the outset of the company to achieving its goal of procuring 600MW of renewable energy.

Sasol described the move as part of its response to climate change.

The company has also been making progress with its asset disposal programme which is aimed at raising enough funds to settle accruals.