- South Africa’s Juwi Renewable Energies has announced plans to build three large-scale solar plants with a combined capacity of 340 MW.
- CEO of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association noted achieving South Africa’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets demands urgent and decisive action from the country’s most energy-intensive sectors.
South Africa’s Juwi Renewable Energies has announced plans to build three large-scale solar plants with a combined capacity of 340 MW that will serve major players in South Africa’s mining, data centre and energy sectors.
The three projects include a 120 MW solar facility for Teraco Data Centres, Africa’s largest data center company that will supply multiple locations via power wheeling from a generation site in the Free State province.
The second of the three projects is a 120 MW facility that will serve chemical companies Sasol and Air Liquide in partnership with independent power producers TotalEnergies, Mulilo and Reatile Group, while the third is a 100 MW solar facility for mining company Glencore Mine that will provide clean energy to its ferrochrome smelters in partnership with Pele Green Energy.
A statement from Juwi says the three projects represent a combined investment in excess of ZAR 6 billion ($320 million) and will together generate over 1,000 GWh of energy annually, enough to power 200,000 South African households.
Dr. Rethabile Melamu, CEO of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, said achieving South Africa’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets demands urgent and decisive action from the country’s most energy-intensive sectors.
“Private sector investments are essential, especially considering our heavy reliance on coal and the carbon-intensive nature of our economy,” Melamu added. “These projects not only accelerate our transition to clean energy but also highlight innovative business models and solutions while strengthening our industry’s resilience and global competitiveness.”
Melamu recently noted South Africa deployed 1.1 GW of solar in 2024, with forecasts expecting between 2.5 GW and 3 GW of solar to be added this year.
Juwi currently operates and maintains nine large renewable energy projects in Africa, totalling 574 MW, which generates nearly 1 million megawatt-hours of electricity annually. In November, it shared plans to construct a $33.2 million solar-plus-storage project in Senegal, integrating a 20 MW solar plant with 11 MWh of battery storage.