Solstice Energy — Implementation Roadmap
The project timeline, critical milestones and construction programme from financial close to commercial operation.
Section 11 · Business Plan
Implementation Roadmap
The project timeline, critical milestones and construction programme from financial close to commercial operation.
11.1 Project Timeline
The project implementation spans approximately 30 months from project
inception to commercial operation date (COD), with the critical path
running through environmental authorisation, grid connection approval,
financial close, and construction completion. The timeline has been
structured to align with REIPPPP procurement cycles and incorporates
reasonable contingency allowances for each phase.
11.2 Critical Milestones
| Milestone | Target Date | Dependencies | Phase |
| Project Company Formation | Month 1–2 | Legal advisors, shareholder agreement | Development |
| Site Secured (Lease/Purchase) | Month 2–5 | Due diligence, zoning confirmation | Development |
| EIA Submission | Month 3 | Specialist studies, public participation | Development |
| Grid Connection Application | Month 3 | Cost estimate letter from Eskom | Development |
| Generation License Filed | Month 4 | NERSA application, technical compliance | Development |
| PPA Execution | Month 6–13 | REIPPPP bid award or corporate PPA | Development |
| Financial Close | Month 14–16 | All conditions precedent satisfied | Financial |
| EPC Contract Award | Month 14–16 | Competitive tender, due diligence | Construction |
| Construction Commencement | Month 16 | Site mobilisation, permits in place | Construction |
| Module Installation Complete | Month 26 | EPC progress, quality assurance | Construction |
| Grid Energisation | Month 28 | Eskom connection, protection tested | Commissioning |
| Commercial Operation Date | Month 30–31 | Performance tests passed, NERSA approval | Operations |
Table 8: Critical Milestones and Dependencies
11.3 Construction Programme
The construction phase spans approximately 14–16 months from site
mobilisation to commercial operation, executed under a fixed-price,
date-certain Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract
with a Tier 1 international EPC contractor experienced in South African
utility-scale solar projects. The EPC contract will include
comprehensive performance guarantees covering minimum energy yield,
system availability, and completion date, with liquidated damages for
underperformance providing financial protection to the project company
and its lenders.
The construction programme is sequenced as follows: civil works and
foundations (Months 16–22) including access roads, fencing, cable
trenches, and tracker foundations; mounting structure and module
installation (Months 20–26) representing the most labour-intensive phase
with 350–500 construction workers; electrical and inverter installation
(Months 22–27) including DC cabling, inverter stations, and MV
collection network; grid connection and substation (Months 24–28)
including the 33/132 kV transformer and transmission line; and testing
and commissioning (Months 27–30) including individual system testing,
integrated system testing, performance guarantee testing, and grid code
compliance testing.
Confidential — this business plan is provided to prospective investors and lenders for evaluation purposes only and may not be reproduced or distributed without the written consent of Solstice Energy (Pty) Ltd.