Engie's green milestone: Financial close for 150 MW solar projects in South Africa

French energy company Engie has successfully reached financial close on two solar power projects in South Africa. These projects, Grootspruit PV and Graspan Solar PV, each boasting a power generation capacity of 75 megawatts (MW), were secured under the nation’s Bid Window Five (BW5) through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

Developed in collaboration with local black-owned independent power producer Pele Green Energy, construction for the Northern Cape-based plants is set to commence in early 2024, with completion anticipated by the end of 2025.

Engie aims to generate up to 150 MW of electricity, reducing South Africa’s annual CO2 emissions by 100,000 tons and meeting the energy needs of about 80,000 households via a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Eskom, a state utility.

Mohamed Hoosen, CEO of Engie South Africa, expressed commitment to supporting South Africa’s transition to a lower carbon economy and the government’s long-term objectives outlined in the National Development Plan.