KEY POINTS
- Eskom has begun construction of a R1.2 billion 75MW solar power plant at Lethabo Power Station.
- The project is expected to power about 60,000 homes and create jobs and skills opportunities.
- Eskom plans to roll out 17 renewable projects adding 6GW of capacity by the end of the decade.
Eskom has commenced construction of a new R1.2 billion 75-megawatt solar power plant at the Lethabo Power Station in the Free State province, marking a major milestone in South Africa’s transition toward cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.
The project represents one of Eskom’s key renewable energy initiatives aimed at diversifying the country’s electricity generation mix while reducing dependence on coal-fired power stations.
According to the power utility, the solar facility is expected to generate about 147 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually once completed, supplying energy to an estimated 60,000 households across the country.
Beyond electricity generation, Eskom said the project is expected to create significant economic opportunities for local communities during both the construction and operational phases.
The utility noted that the development would contribute to job creation, technical training, and skills development, especially within surrounding communities in the Free State.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said the project demonstrates how the company is leveraging improved stability in the national power grid to accelerate renewable energy integration.
Marokane highlighted that South Africa recently celebrated 365 consecutive days without load shedding, describing it as evidence of progress made under Eskom’s generation recovery plan.
“Now that we have delivered a stable electricity platform for the South African economy to grow from, we can seamlessly enable the integration of renewable energy sources as required by the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan to maintain future energy security,” he said.
Eskom Plans Broader Renewable Expansion
Eskom disclosed that the Lethabo solar plant forms part of a wider pipeline of renewable energy projects expected to be rolled out across the utility’s existing coal-fired power station infrastructure between now and 2028.
The company said about 17 priority renewable projects are planned across facilities including Arnot, Duvha, Majuba, Tutuka, Kendal, Kusile, Camden, Hendrina, Komati, Grootvlei, and Lethabo.
Collectively, the projects are projected to add approximately 6 gigawatts of new electricity generation capacity by the end of the decade.
Eskom’s Group Executive for Renewables, Rivoningo Mnisi, described the Lethabo project as a significant step in Eskom’s renewable energy strategy and South Africa’s broader Just Energy Transition agenda.
He said the initiative would help diversify the country’s energy mix while supplying customers with lower-carbon electricity.
The utility explained that the renewable projects are strategically located at existing coal-fired stations in order to leverage current infrastructure, transmission networks, and operational expertise.
According to Eskom, this approach will help reduce deployment costs, accelerate implementation timelines, and improve grid resilience as South Africa expands cleaner energy generation.
The company also revealed plans for Eskom Green, a renewable energy division expected to pursue partnerships, strategic acquisitions, and co-development opportunities across high-resource wind and solar regions.
Eskom said the long-term strategy includes investments in solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage systems, pumped storage, wind energy, and emerging technologies such as green hydrogen.
Energy experts say Eskom’s growing investment in renewable infrastructure could play a critical role in stabilising South Africa’s power supply while attracting fresh investment into the country’s energy sector.
The utility further disclosed that its renewable pipeline could eventually exceed 32 gigawatts of renewable and storage capacity by 2040 as part of its long-term emissions reduction strategy.
