atlantis-solar-pv-plant-case-study-final-2-599fb92e25d92c60.pdf

This case study examines the City of Cape Town's (CCT) development of the Atlantis solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, a pioneering utility-scale renewable energy project owned and operated by a South African metropolitan municipality. The document details the project's governance through a corporate project, programme, and portfolio management (CPPPM) framework, the legal challenges overcome to enable municipal energy autonomy, and the use of an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contracting strategy to mitigate financial and technical risks.

• The Atlantis solar PV plant is the first utility-scale renewable energy project in South Africa to be owned and operated by a metropolitan municipality, serving as a pilot to test the viability of municipal-owned generation.
• The project's initiation was enabled by a 2020 regulatory shift by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), which amended the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA) to allow financially sound municipalities to build generation capacity without prior ministerial determination, lifting the licensing threshold from 1MW to 100MW.
• The plant has a capacity of 7MW (expandable to 10MW) and includes a 5MW/10MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). It is estimated to avoid 12,524 tonnes of CO2 e emissions per annum and provide a project lifespan cost saving of approximately R400,000,000.
• The City of Cape Town utilized an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) strategy via an NEC4 Design, Build and Operate (DBO) contract. This approach transferred significant design and construction risks to the contractor, Lesedi-Technoserve Consortium, which proved effective when the CCT avoided costs associated with unexpected groundwater issues during construction.
• A global market price shock in 2022 led to a 50% increase in solar panel costs. In response, the CCT conducted a Socio Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA) and option analysis, ultimately deciding to reduce the project capacity to 7MW to maintain financial feasibility.
• The project's governance relied on a Corporate Project, Programme and Portfolio Management (CPPPM) framework featuring stage-gate reviews. This structured approach allowed the team to identify risks early and ensure strategic alignment with the City's Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). atlantis-solar-pv-plant-case-study-final-2-599fb92e25d92c60.pdf. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Atlantis-solar-PV-plant-case-study-FINAL-2.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. atlantis-solar-pv-plant-case-study-final-2-599fb92e25d92c60.pdf. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Atlantis-solar-PV-plant-case-study-FINAL-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=atlantis-solar-pv-plant-case-study-final-2-599fb92e25d92c60.pdf |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Atlantis-solar-PV-plant-case-study-FINAL-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendatlantissolarpvplantcasestudyfinal2599fb92e25d92c60pdf, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{atlantis-solar-pv-plant-case-study-final-2-599fb92e25d92c60.pdf}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Atlantis-solar-PV-plant-case-study-FINAL-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }