South Africa Accelerates Green Energy Transition - Juwi Starts Construction of Solar Power Plants With 340 MW Capacity
Cape Town, South Africa - With an ambitious plan to promote renewable energies, South Africa is pursuing the goal of transforming the energy industry much faster by 2030.
With the adoption of a new legal framework and the introduction of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act at the beginning of 2025, the South African government has set the course for the country's green energy future. The new strategy enables the procurement of renewable energies by independent power producers (IPPs) and aims to massively accelerate the expansion of wind and solar energy in South Africa.
Construction of three large Juwi solar parks: A significant step for South Africa
In 2025, Juwi will begin building three large-scale solar power plants in various key sectors of the South African economy. The first solar power plant (120 MW) will be built for Teraco Data Centres, Africa's largest data centre provider. A particular challenge and innovation of this plant is the use of wheeling technology to transmit the solar energy generated from a central location in the Free State province to several data centres via the grid.
The second solar power plant, also with an output of 120 MW, is being developed in co-operation with the companies Sasol and Air Liquide. Here, Juwi will work together with electricity producers such as Total Energies and the Reatile Group. This plant will play an important role in industrial supply and contribute to the decarbonisation of energy-intensive chemical and industrial operations in South Africa.
Another significant solar project is the 100 MW photovoltaic power plant for the Glencore mine, which is being developed in partnership with Pele Green Energy. This plant will provide clean energy for the ferrochrome smelters, helping to reduce CO2 emissions from the South African mining industry.
These three Juwi solar projects with an investment volume of over six billion ZAR (around 320 million US dollars) will not only lead to a more sustainable energy supply, they will also create thousands of jobs. Over 2,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase alone, underlining Juwi's role as an important player in the South African renewable energy market.
South Africa's new energy policy: A decisive step into the future
Juwi's solar projects come at a time when the South African government has set clear targets for the expansion of renewable energies. With the passing of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act and the announced projects of the seventh tendering round of the government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), a major step towards a greener energy future is being taken.
The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2024 envisages that a total of 26 GW (26,000 MW) of new renewable energy capacity will be installed by 2030, meaning that wind and solar plants with an average of six GW of new power plant capacity will be built each year.
„These projects underscore the critical role of private sector leadership in driving South Africa’s energy transition“, says Richard Doyle, Managing Director of Juwi Renewable Energies. The use of innovative business models and cooperation with large industries such as mining, data centres and chemical companies are essential building blocks for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring a stable energy supply.
Juwi has established itself as a pioneer in the South African market and is expected to continue to play a central role in realising the national climate targets. In total, the company currently operates and maintains nine large-scale renewable energy projects in Africa with a total capacity of 574 MW, producing almost one billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
Source: IWR Online, 29 Jan 2025
