The water-based solar plant at Radley Landgoed, a mixed farming operation in Mpumalanga that grows citrus, mangoes and sugar cane, and raises livestock, is the most significant agricultural power project in the province.
By Lebogang Mashala, Editor at African Farming
It might be the only water-borne plant of its kind in South Africa and the region, and marks the beginning of an innovative energy era in the agricultural sector.
Yaseen Guman, Standard Bank’s head of business banking client coverage in Mpumalanga, says that while load-shedding and significant power outages have not been a major issue recently, rapidly increasing electricity tariffs and concerns about energy security continue to cause anxiety for farmers.
Guman made the comments at the handover event at Radley Landgoed, a family-owned farm about 3km from Malelane. He said that for the Radley family, the future looks brighter thanks to their decision to maintain production and reduce growing energy costs, a move that has resulted in a significant solar-powered solution.
“The project, financed in partnership with Standard Bank’s business and commercial banking division, was completed in a year and can produce up to 1,8GWh of power. It can take the estate, including the farm homesteads, support buildings and staff quarters, entirely off-grid when necessary,” said Guman.
“Conservative estimates show that the project costs will be amortised in about 10 years, and the installation will have a lifespan of about 30 years. Savings began accruing the day the plant went operational and will increase over time as energy costs increase annually.
“Perhaps more important to our clients is the fact that production losses and the costs of fuelling generators, which increased operating costs by a substantial amount each year, are now a thing of the past.”
Guman noted that what makes the solar plant at Radley Landgoed unique is that 80% of the solar panels – 3 350m² – are on the surface of one of the estate’s largest irrigation dams. Recently switched on, power reaches vital parts of the farming operation through a 7 km network of custom-built pylons.
Renald Radley and brothers Wilscott and Henno manage the farm, which has been in the family for about 80 years. They decided to switch to solar energy for the estate’s 1 900 hectares primarily due to load-shedding.
The farming operations include 157 ha of citrus orchards, 536 ha of high sucrose-producing sugar cane, 34 ha of mango orchards, and an Nguni cattle stud with 105 breeding cows, all of which have been secured.
“Load-shedding was a significant obstacle that created uncertainty and disrupted our daily farming activities. Traditional power sources and outages impacted our ability to irrigate crops, power essential equipment and maintain productivity,” said Radley.
By opting for solar they have reduced uncertainty and the losses caused by infrastructure repairs and days of power outages. The decision has also minimised potential damage to automated systems.
According to Radley, the location of solar panels on the dam offers several advantages. No potentially productive land had to be set aside for the solar array, and clean energy is generated while maintaining optimum irrigation capacity. Additionally, the dam water provides cooling for the panels and workers have easy access on walkways between rows of panels for cleaning and repair operations.
According to Guman, this project and Standard Bank’s involvement in a farm-based private hydroelectric plant in the Eastern Cape highlight the bank’s dedication to supporting renewable energy initiatives.
He said the solar power installation at Radley Landgoed directly benefits the farm but also provides potential marketing advantages.
With much of the farm’s produce being packed at the nearby Malelane Citrus Cooperative for export, Guman believes the farm’s output could qualify for carbon credits from the EU, resulting in better prices and increased sales.
“This development is particularly significant for the local community, which heavily relies on agriculture for income and employment,” said Guman.
“The Radley Landgoed project aligns with the bank’s strategy of investing in partnerships that drive growth, promote financial inclusion, enhance supply chain efficiency and address energy grid inefficiencies to minimise food wastage in the agricultural sector.”
