Teraco, a provider of interconnection platforms and colocation data centres, has begun constructing a 120MW solar photovoltaic power plant in the Free State to power data centres in Ekurhuleni in Gauteng and in Cape Town through wheeling.
The plant, which is scheduled for completion in late 2026, is expected to generate over 354,000 MWh annually to power Teracos data centres through the wheeling arrangement.
The company is partnering with renewable energy project development company, JUWI Group, and installer of solar plants, Subsolar, to develop the plant, with JUWI appointed to design and manage the procurement, construction and commissioning.
This project underscores Teracos commitment to renewable energy solutions that strengthen energy access and sustainability across the country. By becoming the first data centre operator to own and manage its own large-scale solar facility, Teraco aims to help bridge South Africas energy gap while powering the next generation of cloud and artificial intelligence applications with clean, reliable energy, the company said in a statement.
By owning the plant outright, Teraco will generate and manage its own clean energy source, enabling it to provide reliable and sustainable power supply for its data centres, and reduce dependence on the national grid.
This represents a unique, holistic approach, since Teraco plans to not only own its data centres but also to power them with a renewable energy source, creating a sustainable path to growth, says Jan Hnizdo , Teraco CEO.
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