Renewable energy: Projects
Free State becomes a strategic hub for renewable energy With financial close on the 157 MW Khauta West solar photovoltaic (PV) facility, building on the momentum of the 349 MW Khauta South financial close concluded previously, NOA sees the 506 MW Khauta Cluster, once completed, positioning the Free State as a strategic hub for utility-scale renewable energy projects. The Khauta Cluster will deliver 1 073 GWh of clean electricity annually to a portfolio of private-sector customers across mining, manufacturing, data centres and commercial real estate. The cluster includes Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) infrastructure, to support dispatchable energy and enhanced grid stability. “NOA continues to advance its technology offering to the commercial and industrial market through an active site pipeline and adding the latest BESS technology to its generation facilities, including the Khauta Cluster,”
says Karel Cornelissen, CEO of NOA Group. “With permitting well advanced, we expect financial close on our first BESS system in mid-2026, strengthening our ability to deliver predictable, renewable energy to our customers.” Reaching financial close on Khauta West shortly after that on Khauta South was facilitated through the replication of financing, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and operations and maintenance (O&M) documentation. This streamlined approach allowed NOA to maintain project momentum and secure continuity across both developments, ensuring time and cost efficiency. Cornelissen highlights that by smoothing out the supply- demand balance, BESS enables a greater proportion of renewable energy to be integrated into the grid without compromising stability or reliability. For NOA’s private offtaker partners, BESS brings more consistent supply and the ability to meet peak- load demands. It also endorses the company’s standing as a technology-forward IPP in South Africa’s evolving energy landscape. Situated outside REDZ 5, the Khauta Cluster will connect via an overhead transmission line to Eskom’s existing substation, leveraging strong grid availability in the province, which is an especially favourable factor compared to capacity-constrained regions such as the Northern Cape. The project footprint covers 560 hectares, including a shared switching station and IPP substation. Khauta West (157 MW) is expected to achieve commercial operations by Q4 2026, and Khauta South (349 MW) by Q1 2027. “This development reinforces our position as a leading IPP in the private energy market, supported by a growing portfolio, a storage-ready pipeline, and market leading wheeling expertise to help our customers advance in achieving their decarbonisation and cost saving goals,” says Cornelissen.
The 506 MW Khauta Cluster covers a 560-hectare site and will include a shared switching station and IPP substation.
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economy rooted in inclusion and impact. On-site employment has reached 1 200 and is expected to grow to 2 000 as construction continues. The company has prioritised diverse hiring, local enterprise development and infrastructure improvements including the construction of the new main transmission substation – the largest in Mpumalanga in over 20 years – and the upgrade of local roads to support logistics and long-term access in host communities. Mike Teke, Chairman of Seriti Green, said: “More than producing energy, this is about restoring dignity, enabling development and ensuring that the communities who powered South Africa through coal are now building its clean energy future.” Mandla Ndlovu, Premier of Mpumalanga, added: “This province, once defined by coal, is now leading in clean energy. Seriti Green has turned vision into action.” With more than R15 billion invested, over 2 GW of renewable capacity in the Mpumalanga pipeline, and active partnerships with government, financiers, communities and all the professionals and contractors involved in the project, Seriti Green is demonstrating that South Africa’s energy future can be inclusive, ambitious and deliverable.
Financial close on Phase 3 was achieved through securing long-term funding from Standard Bank, RMB and ABSA, enabling full-scale construction to proceed. Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank, one of the project’s lead financiers, commented: “We back Seriti Green because they are delivering real, bankable projects aligned with South Africa’s energy and economic priorities. They are the real JET players.” The first phase of Ummbila Emoyeni (155 MW) is nearing completion and will begin delivering electricity in early 2026. The overall project development comprises five wind farms, one solar photovoltaic (PV) facility and one battery storage facility, making it one of South Africa’s largest hybrid renewable energy clusters. A third of the electricity generated will power Seriti Resources’ mining operations, helping to decarbonise one of the country’s most energy-intensive industries. The remaining two-thirds will be traded via the NOA Group and Energy Exchange of Southern Africa (EXSA), making clean energy accessible to businesses and households nationwide.
Beyond infrastructure Beyond infrastructure, Seriti Green is building a new energy
For more information visit: www.seritigreen.com
DEC 2025 - JAN 2026 Electricity + Control
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