SunPower Corp. and AE-AMD Renewable Energy, a joint venture between the Spanish and the AMDA energía South African Alt-E Technologies, as well as its partners have completed two South African ground-mounted solar projects. The solar power systems are now feeding 33 megawatts (MW) into the grid. Both projects, which were constructed by SunPower, are located near Douglas, South Africa in the Northern Cape Province.

“The successful completion of these projects, on time, demonstrates what can be achieved with committed and professional partners,” said Piero Granelli, AE-AMD CEO. “The projects not only help to alleviate pressure on the country’s power supply, but also provide much needed support to the local communities over the lifetime of the plants.”

Herbert, a 22-MW project, and the 11-MW project Greefspan, were both part of the South African government’s Independent Power Producer Procurement Program. Combined, the solar projects cover more than 160 hectares, or 395 acres, of land and feature 138,000 solar photovoltaic panels on single-axis trackers. The trackers are programmed to follow the sun throughout the day, ensuring the maximum amount of power is being generated.

“With the completion of the Herbert and Greefspan projects, SunPower continues its track record of building highly efficient and reliable solar power plants around the globe,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. “We’re now looking forward to continuing our efforts in South Africa as we prepare to begin work on an even larger solar power project in Prieska.”

Both systems are owned by AE-AMD Renewable Energy and its partners, including the IDEAS Fund, an infrastructure fund managed by Old Mutual Investment Group of South Africa. Electricity generated from the solar power projects will be sold to Eskom.