• Seriti Green and Eskom completed the Vunumoya transmission station in 18 months for over USD 58 million.

• The facility will enable the early injection of 155 MW from the first phase of the 900-MW Ummbila Emoyeni project.

• The project anchors the energy transition of Mpumalanga, South Africa’s coal-dependent industrial region.

South Africa seeks to modernize and strengthen its grid as it accelerates its energy transition. The strategy relies on new transmission infrastructure capable of integrating larger volumes of renewable electricity.

Renewable-energy company Seriti Green, a subsidiary of Seriti Resources, and state utility Eskom announced on Wednesday, November 26, that they officially handed over the Vunumoya transmission station, a facility built in 18 months for more than USD 58 million.
 The companies stated that engineers have fully energized the station and connected it to the national grid.

The station will enable the early injection of 155 MW from the first phase of the Ummbila Emoyeni wind-and-solar program. Seriti Green will deliver 900 MW once the entire project reaches completion.

Seriti CEO Mike Teke said: “The handover of the Vunumoya transmission station today shows what an effective partnership can accomplish. It represents a significant step for South Africa’s energy transition and for the future of Mpumalanga as a renewable-energy hub. Seriti is proud to contribute to infrastructure that supports a safer and more sustainable national energy system.”

The station and the 900-MW program sit in Mpumalanga, the historical center of South Africa’s coal industry. The region hosts a large share of the country’s coal-fired power plants and therefore plays a central role in the national decarbonization agenda.

The project carries symbolic and strategic weight for the country. South Africa has pledged to reduce its dependence on coal and recently outlined a long-term electricity plan in which low-carbon sources will overtake coal for the first time.

The government plans to add 11,270 MW of solar PV, 7,340 MW of wind, 6,000 MW of gas, and 5,200 MW of nuclear capacity by 2030. Policymakers expect Mpumalanga to absorb a significant share of this transformation through repurposed sites and new renewable installations.

This article was initially published in French by Abdoullah Diop

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum