Solstice Energy Business Plan › Section 5 › Site & Resource Assessment

5.1 Site Location and
Characteristics

Province: Northern Cape, South Africa

Site Area: 250–300 hectares (freehold or long-term
lease)

Terrain: Flat to gently undulating, minimal grading
required

Solar Resource (GHI): 2,200–2,500 kWh/m²/year

Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI): 2,500–2,800
kWh/m²/year

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 3,000+ hours

Grid Proximity: Within 20 km of 132kV/400kV
substation

Access: Accessible via national road network, within
150 km of major town

The Northern Cape Province is internationally recognised as one of
the world’s premier solar resource locations, with solar irradiation
levels comparable to the Atacama Desert in Chile and the Arabian
Peninsula. The site selection process evaluated over 15 candidate
locations against a weighted scoring matrix incorporating solar resource
quality, grid connection proximity and available capacity, land
availability and ownership, environmental sensitivity, construction
access logistics, and community engagement considerations.

5.2 Solar Resource Assessment

The solar resource has been characterised using a combination of
satellite-derived irradiation data (minimum 15-year dataset from
Solargis), on-site meteorological measurements from a purpose-installed
weather station (minimum 12 months), and correlation with nearby
long-term ground measurement stations. The P50 (median) annual
generation estimate of 240 GWh has been independently validated by two
international technical advisors, with a P90 (90th percentile exceedance
probability) estimate of 218 GWh used for debt sizing purposes,
consistent with international project finance standards.

Figure 5

5.3 Environmental Impact
Assessment

A full-scope Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be conducted
in compliance with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and
the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (2014, as amended). The
EIA process includes a public participation process with affected
communities and stakeholders, baseline environmental studies covering
flora, fauna, avifauna, heritage, visual impact, noise, traffic, and
socio-economic factors, and an Environmental Management Programme (EMPr)
governing construction and operational phases.

Solar PV installations have a benign environmental footprint compared
to conventional generation sources. The project will have zero fuel
consumption, zero process water usage, zero atmospheric emissions during
operation, and a fully reversible land use impact with a comprehensive
decommissioning and rehabilitation plan. The primary environmental
considerations relate to vegetation clearance, avifauna (bird)
interaction with reflective surfaces, and visual impact on the
landscape, all of which are manageable through established mitigation
measures.

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