Enel Switches on 330MW Wind Project for Sasol, Air Liquide

Enel Green Power RSA has started commercial operations at its 330-megawatt (MW) Impofu Wind Farm cluster in South Africa's Eastern Cape, supplying renewable electricity to Sasol and Air Liquide under long-term power purchase agreements as private investment continues to reshape the country's electricity market.

The Impofu Wind Farm cluster comprises three 110MW wind farms, Impofu North, Impofu East and Impofu West, located across the Kouga and Nelson Mandela Bay municipalities. Together, they will supply renewable electricity to Sasol's Secunda operations in Mpumalanga, where Air Liquide runs one of the world's largest oxygen production facilities.

Construction of Impofu North began in 2024 and it was the first facility to enter commercial operation. Impofu East and Impofu West followed in May and June, bringing the entire 330MW project online.

The development also included a 116-kilometre, 132-kilovolt transmission line, the largest privately built powerline in South Africa, which enables electricity generated in the Eastern Cape to be transported through the national grid to customers elsewhere under an energy wheeling arrangement.

Industrial demand drives renewable growth

The project marks another milestone in South Africa's growing commercial and industrial renewable energy market, where large companies are increasingly securing electricity directly from independent power producers to improve supply reliability and cut emissions.

For Sasol, the project significantly expands its renewable electricity portfolio as the company works towards securing up to 2GW of renewable energy by 2030.

The company said the Impofu project raises its operational renewable energy capacity to more than 500MW, while another 700MW remains under construction.

"The 330MW Impofu Wind Cluster represents a step-change in Sasol's progress towards achieving our target to secure up to 2GW of renewable energy by 2030," said Sarushen Pillay, Sasol's Executive Vice-President for Business Building, Strategy and Technology.

Air Liquide said electricity from the project would support efforts to reduce carbon emissions at its Secunda operations by between 30 and 40 per cent by 2031.

Chief Executive Officer for Africa, Middle East and India, Nicolas Poirot, described the project as evidence that large-scale industrial decarbonisation is becoming commercially viable in South Africa.

Private investment expands clean energy

The Impofu project highlights how private investment is becoming increasingly important in expanding South Africa's electricity supply at a time when businesses are seeking alternatives to grid constraints and rising energy costs.

By combining renewable generation with energy wheeling, projects such as Impofu enable large industrial users to secure cleaner electricity while reducing pressure on the national grid. The model is also helping to unlock investment in new generation capacity without relying solely on government-funded infrastructure.

Apart from electricity generation, Enel Green Power RSA explained that the project includes community development programmes focused on skills training, enterprise development and job creation in host communities across the Eastern Cape.

The commissioning also positions the company among the early independent power producers to deliver large-scale wind projects under commercial power purchase agreements, a market expected to expand as more South African businesses pursue lower-carbon energy sources.