By Faridat Salifu
French energy giant, Engie has commenced construction of the Grootspruit solar farm in South Africa’s Free State province, expanding its footprint in the country’s renewable energy sector.
The project, developed in collaboration with South African independent power producer (IPP) Pele Green Energy, marks a significant step in Engie’s efforts to support South Africa’s transition to sustainable energy.
The Grootspruit solar farm, located in the Lejweleputswa district, will have a capacity of 75 megawatts peak (MWp). The construction contract for the project has been awarded to South African companies Aurex Constructors and Ablon Construction.
“Awarding Aurex Constructors the design and construction of the Grootspruit solar project reaffirms our commitment to providing sustainable solutions to South Africa’s energy challenges.
This landmark project underlines our commitment to supporting a just energy transition, creating employment opportunities, and promoting skills development within the local community,” said Stuart Kent, Managing Director of Aurex Constructors.
The solar plant is expected to begin operations in 2025, with the electricity generated set to be fed into the national grid under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with state-owned utility Eskom. Grootspruit is one of two solar projects currently being developed by Engie in South Africa.
The company is also constructing the Graspan photovoltaic solar power plant, another 75 MWp facility, in the Northern Cape province.
Both solar farms are scheduled to come online in 2025 and are projected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cutting 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Together, the Grootspruit and Graspan plants will supply enough electricity to meet the needs of approximately 80,000 South African households, contributing to the nation’s clean energy goals.
