Construction |
Above: Weir at Middle Kruisvallei
Right: Middle Kruisvallei intake canal
j for operations and management. H1 Holdings participates as a 46.5% shareholder via the project company, Zevobuzz Ltd. Kruisvallei Hydro is the third hydropower site to come online through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
Building the site The Kruisvallei site was designated for hydro a decade
ago, but the project stalled until Red Rocket—then Building Energy—reinvigorated the opportunity: bidding it in August 2014 and then being appointed preferred bidder in May 2015. It was a challenge. There were considerable licensing delays, the project had to be redesigned to make it feasible, and the original lenders backed out close to the construction initiation date. But through hard work and diligence, ground broke in mid-2018. Success resulted from a focus on collaboration and the new integration-focused business plan.
“Red Rocket’s projects are the result of cooperation between lots of different people to make something work,” says Ansermino. “When we started, there were severe reservations. Now two years later, I can stand here and say, not only have they made it work, they’ve made it work as well as anybody else could possibly have done, if not better.” The successful completion of Kruisvallei Hydro is even more impressive, considering its construction took place as the COVID-19 pandemic halted momentum in all corners of South African society. But thanks to stellar project management and close relationships with local communities, things worked out very well.
As mentioned earlier, the site provides power to almost 2000 homes, and it created 714 person-month jobs during construction. In addition, Red Rocket employed teams from South Africa for plant and logistics requirements, while an Italian team helped install and calibrate the site’s turbines.
Right: Animal fencing installation
34 | August 2021 |
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