JUWI Renewable Energies today announced plans to begin construction on three major private solar projects in 2025. Representing investments of over R6 billion and totaling 340 megawatts (MW) of capacity. The projects will make a major contribution to South Africa’s clean energy transition while serving key players in the mining, data centre, and energy sectors, including Glencore, Teraco, Sasol, and Air Liquide.
Together, the projects will generate over 1 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean energy annually, enough to power 200,000 South African households, and offset nearly 1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. These projects will also create over 2,000 jobs during construction, reinforcing JUWI’s role as a major player in South Africa’s renewable energy sector, while contributing around 5% to the country’s total solar PV capacity.
The projects include:
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A 120 MW solar PV facility for Teraco Data Centres, Africa’s largest data centre company, supplying multiple locations via wheeling innovation from a generation site in the Free State Province.
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A 120 MW solar PV facility for Sasol and Air Liquide, in partnership with independent power producers (IPPs) TotalEnergies, Mulilo and Reatile Group.
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A 100 MW solar PV facility for Glencore Mine, providing clean energy to its ferrochrome smelters in partnership with Pele Green Energy.
“These projects underscore the critical role of private sector leadership in driving South Africa’s energy transition,” said Richard Doyle, MD, JUWI Renewable Energies.
“As one of the pioneers of the country’s renewable energy sector, JUWI is proud to partner with energy-intensive industries and IPPs to deliver innovative projects that enhance energy resilience, reduce emissions, and accelerate progress toward net zero. These projects reflect our commitment to building a sustainable energy future for South Africa.”
The start of 2025 has marked significant progress for South Africa’s energy sector, with the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act coming into force and Bid Window 7 projects announced under the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). These reforms are essential as the latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) analysis, released in November 2024, targets 26 GW of new renewable energy capacity by 2030, requiring an average deployment of 6 GW of wind and solar annually.
“Achieving South Africa’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets demands urgent and decisive action from the country’s most energy-intensive sectors,” said Dr. Rethabile Melamu, CEO of the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA). P
“Private sector investments are essential, especially considering our heavy reliance on coal and the carbon-intensive nature of our economy. These projects not only accelerate our transition to clean energy, but also highlight innovative business models and solutions, while strengthening the resilience and global competitiveness of our industry. We are excited that JUWI, one of SAPVIA’s long-standing members, will play a pivotal role in delivering these transformative projects, further establishing solar PV as a key technology in securing South Africa’s energy future.”
Beyond these new projects, JUWI also currently operates and maintains nine large renewable energy projects in Africa, totaling 574 MW, which generate nearly 1 million megawatt-hours of electricity annually.
