H1 Holdings and Scaled Impact, supported by the Industrial Development Corporation, operate a Project Management Office (PMO) to promote and foster collaboration across the renewable energy sector in South Africa. A pilot programme in the Northern Cape Namakwa and ZF Mgcawu districts identified more than US$ 5 billion in investment opportunities, and created a linked pipeline of socio-economic development initiatives.

The Independent Power Producer industry in the Northern Cape has committed approximately 1.5 percent of their revenues to be re-invested into social economic and enterprise development initiatives. Over twenty years this is a major investment in the future of renewable energy project host communities.  The challenge is to co-ordinate the application of these funds and resources across multiple renewable energy projects and operators. Also, to connect renewable energy projects to other industries with similar contributions like mining and agriculture, and to link this into the government’s wider development plans. The H1 Scaled Impact PMO works to promote that each Independent Power Project uses it’s socio economic development funds strategically as a catalyst for long term projects; to match third party funds; to close service gaps; raise skills and open up markets. The PMO works with multiple stakeholders to put the Northern Cape region on a positive development path for the next twenty years and more.

H1 Holdings started working with Scaled Impact in 2018, to design a mechanism to promote collaboration across the various Northern Cape energy project clusters. Backed by the IDC, we developed a twenty-year perspective on the development potential in the Northern Cape, matching the locations and timing of various solar and wind farm investments in which H1 is a shareholder.

The H1 Scaled Impact PMO identified great value in the region. World-scale strategic mineral reserves in the solar and wind energy corridors give the area a head-start in potential manufacturing for future green industries from solar panels to batteries. Grape, date and citrus farms supply world markets and have large expansion potential. Up to 4,000 hectares of suitable land are potentially open for establishment by emerging farmers. The Orange River Valley is the second largest raisin producing region in the world enabling new, community-owned production. The team has developed a Livestock for Livelihoods programme, that builds capacity and opens up markets for host communities in the Northern Cape, in collaboration with the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture and the National Woolgrowers Association.