In a landmark moment, construction on Africa’s first dedicated gigawatt battery storage manufacturing plant has started in Cape Town.
The 12 500 square metre light industrial site will feature offices, manufacturing and storage facilities, and will be four times the size of the current facility.
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With these plans in place, lithium-ion battery storage manufacturer Solar MD will increase its current production from about 120 batteries per day to up to 300 batteries per day. Employment at the facility is also set to improve from 120 to 240 jobs.
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‘This development marks an exciting moment for Cape Town. Not only does this investment fuel Cape Town’s drive towards a smarter, cleaner and more secure energy future, but it also makes this metro the base for the production of these batteries that are exported into Africa and Europe,’ says Alderman James Vos, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
‘This shows the tangible value of partnering with SPVs. In fact, by supporting companies such as Solar MD, GreenCape helped to facilitate R1,733 billion in investments in the last financial year for Cape Town which led to hundreds of jobs.
‘In the next year, we are going to expand our investment campaigns of Cape Town as a green energy hub while extending skills development opportunities to more communities and small businesses.’
As per the City of Cape Town, Solar MD has invested more than R150 million into its developments since opening in 2015. The company plans to invest nearly R1 billion over the next five years. Its growth has been supported by GreenCape, the City’s special purpose vehicle for the green economy alongside the provincial government’s investment promotion partner, Wesgro, and the City itself.
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Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook
