Eskom Begins Construction Work on 75MW Solar Plant at Lethabo

Eskom has begun construction of a R1.2 billion, 75MW solar power plant at its Lethabo Power Station in the Free State, in a move that signals a further shift towards renewable energy within South Africa’s electricity system.

The project is expected to generate about 147GWh of electricity a year, enough to supply roughly 60,000 households. Eskom said it would also create local jobs and support skills development during both construction and operation.

Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane explained that the utility’s improved coal fleet performance has created space to introduce renewable generation more steadily. He linked the project to the progress made under Eskom’s generation recovery plan, which he said helped South Africa go 365 days without load-shedding.

Marokane added that the utility is now better positioned to integrate renewable energy in line with the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan, while maintaining energy security for the economy. He said Eskom’s technical and institutional capacity, built up over decades, remains central to the country’s energy transition.

Eskom’s Group Executive for Renewables, Rivoningo Mnisi, described the project as an important step in the company’s renewable energy pipeline. He noted that it forms part of a wider effort to diversify generation, support South Africa’s just energy transition and deliver lower-carbon electricity to customers.

The company stated that the solar plant is one of 17 priority projects planned across its coal station sites, with construction expected to begin between now and 2028. Together, the projects are expected to add 6GW of new capacity by the end of the decade.

Eskom explained that the new developments will be located at stations including Arnot, Duvha, Majuba, Tutuka, Lethabo, Komati, Kendal, Kusile, Hendrina, Camden and Grootvlei. It added that existing infrastructure will be used to speed up deployment, reduce costs and strengthen grid resilience.

The Lethabo project is also part of Eskom’s construction-ready pipeline of at least 2GW of renewable energy and pumped storage projects due for progress in 2026. The utility said funding has already been included in its approved capital spending plan and will not depend on extra project borrowing.

Eskom Green, its renewable energy arm, averred that it will also look beyond Eskom-owned land and decommissioned sites by pursuing partnerships, co-development deals and acquisitions of advanced renewable projects. The company opined that it would help broaden its generation mix, expand revenue and match supply more closely with customer demand.

It said its longer-term pipeline includes more than 32GW of renewable energy and storage projects by 2040, as part of its emissions reduction strategy and wider push to help customers decarbonise their operations.