V&A Waterfront's R184m Desalination Plant to Bolster Sustainability

Cape Town, South Africa, has experienced acute water shortages in recent years, pushing local businesses and property developers to pursue alternative, sustainable water sources. In response to this challenge, the prestigious Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront, co-owned by Growthpoint Properties and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), is taking a historic step towards water resiliency by commissioning a state-of-the-art desalination plant due to commence operation in early 2024.

David Green, the chief executive of the V&A Waterfront, has announced that the desalination plant comes with a hefty R184 million price tag but promises a significant return on investment. At a potential output of between 3.5 million and five million liters of water per day, the plant will play a pivotal role in taking the Waterfront completely off the municipal water grid once it reaches full capacity.

Utilizing a reverse osmosis system, V&A Waterfront aims to fulfill all its water needs independently, thereby minimizing the threat posed to its economic sustainability during water crises. Estienne de Klerk, the South African CEO of Growthpoint Properties, described the plant commissioning as a "landmark achievement."

The upcoming plant is not without precedent. The City of Cape Town's previous involvement in a tender dispute with Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) over a desalination plant at the Waterfront peaked during a period known as 'Day Zero,' wherein the city nearly ran out of water. That conflict is heading to arbitration in 2024, but officials affirm it has no bearing on the new project by Growthpoint Properties and PIC.

The V&A Waterfront's problem-solving does not end with water; they have also invested substantially in electricity backup. Between R40 million and R50 million has been allocated for backup facilities, perfecting generators, and integrating smart systems to surmount the challenges of load shedding. Adding to this, David Green describes the implementation of emergency standby power (ESP) battery packs, which, in conjunction with solar panels, will reduce reliance on diesel generators. The goal is to ensure that the V&A Waterfront can continue to operate up to Level 6 load shedding with no impact on operations.

Growthpoint Properties doesn't just focus on its projects at the Waterfront. The company has been doubling down on solar capacity and initiated a groundbreaking pilot wheeling project, where solar energy is wheeled to real estate assets that require power. Last year alone, the company doubled its rooftop solar capacity, demonstrating its commitment to renewable solutions and ecological responsibility.

Growthpoint anticipates a significant investment in the coming year to further enhance their energy offerings. Estimations suggest that they will be allocating more than R300 million to electricity projects and another R100 million towards water initiatives—a clear indicator that property companies are stepping into new roles as utility providers out of sheer necessity.

As Cape Town moves forward, Green and De Klerk emphasize that the Waterfront’s initiatives are setting benchmarks and challenging other businesses in the region to adopt similar resilience strategies. As the city pioneers in sustainable solutions—like the new desalination plant—and redefines property management by integrating self-sufficiency, Cape Town's V&A Waterfront is becoming a beacon of progress and foresight in the face of environmental uncertainty.