Situated in the Murraysburg area on the Northern and Western Cape border, the 140 MW Umsinde Emoyeni Wind Farm is one of the largest single renewable projects in Sibanye-Stillwater’s pipeline. The project is being built to feed directly into Sibanye’s mines under a long-term power purchase agreement, reinforcing the miner’s ambition to generate 30% of its electricity needs from renewables by 2027. Also in the 600 MW renewables pipeline target is the Castle Wind Farm in Northern Cape and Red Rocket-led Witberg Wind Farm in Western Cape.
Umsinde Emoyeni Wind Farm continues to progress with construction in phases. The facility expected to ramp up output between 2025 and 2026. Beyond its scale, Umsinde is also strategically positioned to harness strong regional wind resources. This ensures reliable baseload support for energy-intensive mining operations. The project also aligns with national priorities to diversify South Africa’s energy mix and strengthen its grid resilience.
Umsinde Emoyeni Wind Farm Factsheet
Project Name: Umsinde Wind Farm
Capacity: 140 MW
Location: Murraysburg area, in Northern and Western Cape, South Africa
Developer: Red Rocket South Africa
Offtaker: Sibanye-Stillwater
Status: Under development
Commercial Operation Date: 2025-2026
Grid Connection: Eskom’s grid infrastructure
Umsinde Emoyeni Wind Farm Timeline
2022: Initial project structuring and permitting
2023: Power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sibanye finalized
2024: Financing closed. Site preparation and infrastructure works also begin
2025: Construction of turbine foundations, transmission connections underway
2025-2026: Phased turbine erection and commissioning
Late 2026: Full commercial operation expected
AIIM Wind Farms Financial Close Reached on Two South African Wind Farms
Reported June 19, 2024 – African Infrastructure Investment Manager (AIIM) has achieved financial close on two wind farms in South Africa to supply renewable energy for Rio Tinto’s Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) operations and alongside Sibanye Stillwater via wheeling agreements.
The 140MW Khangela and the 140MW Umsinde Emoyeni wind farms are the projects on the spotlight. Alongside the AIIM-managed IDEAS Fund, Reatile Renewables has also invested in the projects.
“We are immensely proud to have achieved financial close and construction commencement on another two private renewables projects in partnership with some of South Africa’s key mining houses,” remarked James Cumming, general manager of ACED.
“Not only will the projects provide Rio’s Richards Bay Minerals and Sibanye Stillwater with clean energy for their operations, but they will also create jobs and development funding streams to support and grow local communities living adjacent to the projects.” Cumming added.
Khangela Emoyeni Wind Farm Project Factsheet
Capacity: 140 MW
Location: Near Murraysburg, Western Cape, South Africa
Developer: African Clean Energy Developments (ACED) and EIMS Africa
Investor: AIIM
Offtaker: Richards Bay Minerals
Power Purchase Agreement: 20-year PPA with wheeling via Eskom’s grid
Technology: 32, Vestas V163-4.5 MW wind turbines
Construction Start: 2024
Expected COD: 2026
Grid Connection: Eskom transmission network
Khangela Emoyeni Wind Farm Project Timeline
Pre-2023: Feasibility, permitting, and environmental approvals
2023: Long-term PPA signed between Richards Bay Minerals and project sponsors
May 2024: Financial close reached. Construction also launched
2025: Construction ongoing
Details on the AIIM Wind Farms Financial Close
The deal entails the sale of power to the mining houses through 20-year Power Purchase Agreements. Khangela and Umsinde Emoyeni Wind Farms are situated near Murraysburg in the Western Cape, with a small portion of the proposed development site falling into the Northern Cape.
Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a division of FirstRand Bank Limited, is the lead arranger for both projects, and operations and maintenance services for the projects once built will be provided by AIIM’s in-house operator, EIMS.
Key Quotes and Alleviating Load Shedding
“AIIM continues to be committed to and successfully executing its mandate of investing in renewable energy projects that can deliver sustainable investment returns over the long-term to our predominantly South African pension fund investor base,” also commented Sechaba Selemela, investment principal at AIIM. “Our in-house development platforms provide us with a differentiated and steady flow of large-scale investment opportunities. These are unmatched in this market.” Selemela added.
Simphiwe Mehlomakulu, executive chairman of Reatile Group, also commented, “This also supports big businesses such that they continue to create employment and opportunities in the South African communities in which we operate. We continue to bring tangible solutions to alleviating load shedding by bringing sustainable generation capacity to the grid in South Africa.”
“Financial close of the Umsinde Emoyeni wind farm marks another critical step in our journey to carbon neutrality by 2040.” said Sibanye-Stillwater CEO, Neal Froneman. “The renewable energy secured through our four PPAs will enable a stepped reduction in our carbon footprint. This will also contribute to mitigation of the effects of climate change. It will also enhancing the sustainability and shared value creation of our SA operations through favorable pricing relative to current supply. We continue to develop and execute energy solutions that contribute to the delivery of our strategy.”
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