187 MW Ergo Solar Plant Officially Certified for Grid Connection

DRDGOLD has achieved a significant milestone in its renewable energy strategy, securing a formal grid connection certificate from Eskom for its Tshedza Solar Farm. The R2.8-billion facility, also known as the Ergo Solar Plant, now officially integrates its 187 MW capacity—comprising a 60 MW photovoltaic array and a 187 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)—into the national grid to power its extensive gold tailings retreatment operations.

Energy Security and Advanced Technology with 187 MW Ergo Solar Plant Officially Certified for Grid Connection

Constructed with over 133,000 bifacial solar panels and 43 advanced batteries, the Tshedza Solar Farm is engineered for both efficiency and resilience. The plant’s substantial battery system is critical, providing up to five hours of backup power to maintain continuous operations during grid instability. “The batteries can prevent operations from halting for four to five hours,” explained Ergo COO Jaco Schoeman, highlighting the necessity of an uninterrupted power supply for the continuous flow of gold-bearing slurry. This storage capacity also allows the plant to export surplus energy to the grid during peak tariff periods, optimizing its financial returns.

Strategic Power Offsetting and Carbon Reduction

With the Eskom certificate in hand, DRDGOLD can now leverage the solar plant’s output across its entire operational portfolio. The generated electricity will not be sold to third parties but will instead be used to offset consumption across the company’s 29 different Eskom and municipal accounts. “It’s all in-house consumption, offset against our other accounts,” Schoeman confirmed. This self-consumption model is a core component of the project’s primary environmental goal: a drastic reduction in DRDGOLD’s carbon footprint. The Tshedza circuit alone is projected to slash the group’s CO2 emissions by an impressive 52%.

Community Empowerment and Local Investment

Beyond its technological and environmental achievements, the Ergo Solar Plant has delivered tangible economic benefits to the local community. The construction phase created more than 250 jobs for local residents in roles such as panel installation and cable laying. Furthermore, a R15-million contract for a maintenance warehouse was awarded to a local business, reinforcing the project’s commitment to social responsibility. Ongoing management and maintenance are handled by Carbon Works, a partnership that has facilitated the upskilling of the original construction team to ensure long-term operational excellence.

Sources

1. [PDF] Renewstable Power Plant – Environmental and Social Impact …
2. Tshedza solar PV power plant and battery energy storage system …
3. [PDF] Planning & Community Development Services Agency – Glenn County
4. [PDF] Ergo solar energy project – drdgold
5. 2024 – DRDGOLD
6. DRDGOLD’s Ergo solar plant receives formal Eskom grid connection …
7. [PDF] Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Roadmap
8. [PDF] Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Draft Report for …
9. [PDF] Annual Report 2025 Statkraft AS