Ireland-based renewable energy developer Mainstream Renewable Power has signed the key Financing, Power-Purchase and Implementation Agreements with the South African Government for its wind and two solar projects in South Africa which have a combined investment value in excess of 500 million Euro.

Mainstream will issue Notice to Proceed to its construction contractors this week on all three projects which are scheduled to be fully operational by mid 2014.

The projects comprise the 138MW Jeffreys Bay wind farm located in the Eastern Cape; the 50MW De Aar solar PV farm located in the Municipality of Emthanjeni in the Northern Cape; and the 50MW Droogfontein solar PV farm located near the town of Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

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Mainstream has developed these projects over the last four years and was responsible for gaining all consents, grid connections, project finance, construction contracts, equipment procurement and will also manage the full construction programme under the supervision of a joint steering committee with Globeleq.

In November 2011 Mainstream put together and was the lead member in a consortium which bid for licences to build the three projects under the South African Government’s first Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP). In December 2011 the Government announced the consortium had been successful in winning all three contracts in the competitive bidding process.

Members of the consortium include emerging markets power company Globeleq as the strategic equity partner, Thebe Investment Corporation (advised by Bridge Capital), local engineering firms Enzani Technologies and Usizo Engineering as well as local community trusts. Old Mutual’s IDEAS Managed Fund is an additional consortium member of the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm.

The projects, which are among the very first to be built in the country have been co-developed with Mainstream's local partner, renewable energy developer Genesis Eco-Energy, which has been active in South Africa since 2001.