Green Energy Giants: JUWI Teams Up with Industry Leaders for Solar Success
2025 is shaping up to be a massive year for JUWI Renewable Energies—and for South Africa’s clean energy journey. We’re thrilled to share that we’re gearing up to build 340 megawatts (MW) of solar PV projects, worth an incredible ZAR6 billion (USD 320 million). These projects, designed to serve industry giants like Glencore, Teraco, Sasol, and Air Liquide, are a big step forward for our country’s renewable energy future.
To put this into perspective, these solar projects alone will add around 5% to South Africa’s total solar PV capacity. That’s no small feat! And the impact doesn’t stop there.
Together, the three projects will generate over 1 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean energy each year—that’s enough electricity to power 200,000 South African households. Even better? We’ll be offsetting nearly 1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
Now, let’s break that down even further. The carbon offset is equivalent to:
- 16,434 dump truck loads of coal not being burned. To put this in perspective, imagine a 131 km line of trucks. That would stretch from the center of Joburg to the center of Pretoria.
- Removing 204,348 cars from the road every single year. That's about 920 km of cars. If you drove at 120 km/hr it would take you 8 hours to drive past all the cars.
The Projects at a Glance
Here’s what we have in store:
- 120 MW for Teraco Data Centres: As Africa’s largest data centre company, Teraco relies on resilient energy solutions. This project, located in the Free State Province, will supply clean energy to multiple locations through cutting-edge wheeling innovation.
- 120 MW for Sasol and Air Liquide: Partnering with TotalEnergies, Mulilo, and Reatile Group, this project underscores how collaboration can drive sustainable energy solutions for energy-intensive industries.
- 100 MW for Glencore Mine: Clean energy will power Glencore’s ferrochrome smelters, thanks to our partnership with Pele Green Energy.
These projects underscore the critical role of private sector leadership in driving South Africa’s energy transition and we're proud to partner with energy-intensive industries and IPPs to deliver innovative projects that enhance energy resilience, reduce emissions, and accelerate progress toward net zero.
The Bigger Picture
These projects come at an exciting time for South Africa’s energy sector. With the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act now in effect and new projects rolling out under Bid Window 7 of the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), it feels like we’re finally gaining momentum.
To meet our country’s renewable energy goals, we need to add 26 gigawatts (GW) of new wind and solar capacity by 2030. That’s a big target, but we’re here to make it happen—one transformative project at a time.
Achieving South Africa’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets demands urgent and decisive action from the country’s most energy-intensive sectors. Private sector investments are essential, especially considering our heavy reliance on coal and the carbon-intensive nature of our economy. We are excited that JUWI, one of SAPVIA’s long-standing members, will play a pivotal role in delivering these transformative projects, further establishing solar PV as a key technology in securing South Africa’s energy future.
We look forward to bringing these projects online at the end of 2026 and handing them over to our Operations and Maintenance team who currently look after 9 large scale solar projects totaling 574 MW.
