Hive Hydrogen South Africa has finished work on a large solar setup in the Northern Cape. This solar group, or “cluster,” will power part of a green ammonia plant in Coega, located in the Eastern Cape.
The solar power project includes nine sites and can generate up to 1,430 megawatts (MW) of electricity. That’s nearly enough to power over a million homes. This power will supply about 40% of the energy needed to run the Coega Green Ammonia facility, which will make ammonia using solar and wind energy, seawater, and air.
The ammonia plant is expected to produce over one million tonnes every year. Construction is ongoing, and commercial production is planned to start by the end of 2029.
The solar sites are located near Philipstown, Petrusville, and Vanderkloof. They were co-developed by Hive Hydrogen, Africoast Investments, Akuo Energy (France), and Golden Sunshine Trading.
The Crossroads Green Energy cluster received all its permits, including two Environmental Impact Approvals. Together, the first approval was for 1,230MW. Then it was expanded by another 200MW. No objections or land disputes were recorded during the permitting process.
These solar farms are designed to use only a small part of farmland. Only about 10% of the land is used for energy. The rest remains available for agriculture. After the solar plants reach the end of their life, the land can be returned to its original condition.
The electricity grid in the area will also be upgraded as part of the project. Hive Hydrogen said the new grid connections will make room for up to 20,000MW of additional energy projects from other developers.
Hive is planning to use both solar and wind power for the Coega plant. Desalinated water from the nearby ocean and nitrogen from the air will also be used in the process to make green ammonia.
