• Engie Africa adds 75 MW from Grootspruit solar plant in Free State province
• A second 75 MW project at Graspan is due online in late 2025
• Both plants to cut South Africa’s emissions by 100,000 tons of CO₂ annually

Engie Africa announced today it has connected the 75 MW Grootspruit solar power plant to South Africa’s national grid. The facility, located in the Free State province, was developed with Pele Green Energy under the fifth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP).

A second plant, the 75 MW Graspan solar facility in the Northern Cape, is under construction and is scheduled to come online by the end of 2025. Together, the two projects are expected to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by about 100,000 tons of CO₂ per year.

While no financing details for Grootspruit were disclosed, Engie received a €500 million loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in 2024 to support its renewable energy projects in South Africa and other emerging markets.

Engie has been active in South Africa for more than 15 years and currently operates 14 energy assets, including the Avon and Dedisa power plants with a combined capacity of 1,005 MW. These facilities help ease load shedding under a 15-year power purchase agreement with Eskom.

In May, Engie CEO Catherine MacGregor reiterated the group’s commitment to strengthening South Africa’s energy security. With Grootspruit and Graspan, Engie is expanding its role in the country’s energy transition as it works to diversify its power mix, stabilize the grid, and reduce dependence on coal.