Kruger National Park, South Africa, 2015-2-18 — /Travel PR News/ — Environmentally conscious safari specialist, Singita, partners with New Southern Energy on a significant environmental project in the Kruger National Park to transfer its first South African lodge onto solar power
This March, Singita Lebombo and Sweni Lodges in Singita Kruger National Park will start the transition over to solar power. Solar provider, New Southern Energy, has designed a bespoke solar park to utilize the available sun energy and generate enough renewable power to provide the luxury safari lodge with 52% of its energy requirements and significantly reduce the site’s environmental impact.
To date, Singita Lebombo and Sweni Lodges have been dependent on diesel-powered generators due to the national grid not extending to the N’wanetsi concession. Singita, an environmentally conscious hospitality company, continually aims to reduce its carbon emissions and operate with a sustainable ethos in mind that supports the local community and its surroundings. After a two year design project, New Southern Energy is completing the installation of two solar parks that will reduce Singita’s current diesel consumption in the region of 300,000 litres.
These two solar power parks have been installed to power the main lodges and the staff village. The solar parks are made from 1,500 solar panels, which have a combined area of 5.2 square kilometers and will produce 636,000 kilowatt hours of power per annum. The farms have been carefully positioned so as not to harm any protected trees in the local area and are fully game-proof with solar powered electric fencing.
Singita Lebombo and Sweni Lodges are located in the heights of the Lebombo Mountains along the far eastern reaches of the Kruger National Park. Singita Lebombo Lodge accommodating up to 30 guests in just 15 rooms and Singita Sweni Lodge accommodating up to 12 guests in 6 rooms, guests have the option to sleep under the stars on their own private decks with the suites on the sides of gentle cliffs and banks of the river. Singita Lebombo Lodge is built on stilts, creating the feeling of an eagle’s nest in the bush and is in keeping with Singita’s principle of leaving no footmark on nature. Singita Sweni Lodge is built in a similar manner along the banks of the majestic Sweni River. Both designs are highly contemporary and Singita Lebombo Lodge includes one of the most iconic swimming pools in Africa. The lodges are situated in an exclusive game-rich 33,000 acre concession on the border with Mozambique. Boasting the highest concentration of wildlife in the entire park, including the Big 5, the area is also known for its regal Mountain Pride of lions and unique Euphorbia trees.
Singita, Africa’s most inspiring safari specialist, operate 12 unique lodges and camps in five regions across three countries – South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Singita is the trusted guardian of over half a million acres of pristine land in Africa and responsible for successful community development projects, making a tangible difference in the lives of the people living and working in and around its lodges. Its key aim is to protect and preserve the incredible African wildlife and the habitat, thinking long-term about how to work with local communities to ensure the best safari experience can continue for decades to come. At Singita Grumeti in Tanzania, Singita is working in close partnership with ‘One Planet’ to develop a challenging sustainability action plan with the aim to set a new standard of sustainable tourism and conservation in Africa by 2020.
www.singita.com / www.newsouthernenergy.com
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(Picture courtesy of NSE )