Google has just announced its first renewables investment in Africa: a $12 million USD (103 million Rand) investment in the Jasper Power Project, a 96 megawatt solar photovoltaic plant in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Upon completion, Jasper will be one of the largest solar installations on the continent, capable of generating enough electricity to power 30,000 South African homes.
According to Rick Needham, Google's Director of Energy & Sustainability, the investment meets their dual criteria of making financial sense and having transformative potential. The project will contribute to the South African government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) ambitious goal of generating 18 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2030 (that is equivalent to 40% of the entire grid's generation today).
Google has committed more than $1 billion to renewable energy investments. Needham says 'we continue to search for new opportunities. Our search has brought us from the U.S. to Europe and now to Africa. We're excited to see where else it might lead.'
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