French energy company Engie has announced the groundbreaking of a 75 MW solar plant in the Free State province of South Africa. The Grootspruit project will be built and operated in partnership with Pele Green Energy, a South African independent power producer.

The Engie-Pele consortium signed the project agreement under the fifth bid window of South Africa's Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in late 2023. The other project is the 75 MW Graspan array in Northern Cape province.

Both plants are expected to be commissioned by the end of next year. Together, they will cover the electricity needs of approximately 80,000 South African households.

“We are proud of these projects not only for the power they will generate but also for the structural development they will bring to local communities and the country as a whole,” said Ronald Chindeka, head of investment and funding at Pele Green Energy.

In November 2023, the South African government said that a total of 12 projects under the fifth round of the REIPPPP has reached commercial close and would add a combined 1,159 MW to the national grid.

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently said that South Africa has 22,500 MW of renewables in the pipeline.