Eskom Green has officially launched construction of a 75MW solar photovoltaic power plant at the Lethabo Power Station in the Free State Province of South Africa, marking the first time the state utility has broken ground on a utility-scale renewable energy project within its own coal-fired station infrastructure. Valued at R1.2 billion (approximately US$65 million), the facility will occupy more than 160 hectares of Eskom-owned land near Vereeniging, close to the RWB Lethabo Substation. Once operational, it is projected to generate around 147GWh of electricity annually, supplying power to an estimated 60,000 households. The project is funded through on-balance sheet financing within Eskom’s approved capital expenditure programme, in line with National Treasury debt relief conditions, without reliance on additional project finance borrowing. Construction is expected to be completed by November 2027, an 18-month timeline that Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who attended the groundbreaking alongside Eskom CEO Dan Marokane, Eskom board chairman Mteto Nyati, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, and Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, indicated he wants shortened. The project has been developed under Eskom Green, the utility’s dedicated renewable energy subsidiary, which is mandated to accelerate South Africa’s Just Energy Transition by integrating cleaner generation into Eskom’s predominantly coal-based fleet.

The First Shovel in a 6GW Transformation

The Lethabo plant is far more than a standalone installation. It represents the opening move in what Eskom describes as a 17-project high-priority pipeline to be rolled out across its existing coal-fired station footprint, with construction scheduled to commence across the full portfolio between now and 2028. Collectively, these projects are expected to deliver approximately 6GW of new capacity by 2030, with sites identified at stations including Arnot, Duvha, Majuba, Tutuka, Komati, Kendal, Kusile, Hendrina, Camden, and Grootvlei. The scale of ambition is significant in continental terms and builds on momentum generated by projects such as the two new solar developments advancing in South Africa under the country’s accelerating renewable energy rollout. Comparable utility-led transitions on the continent include Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex, where ONEE oversaw the integration of concentrated solar into a grid historically dominated by thermal generation, and Kenya’s programme of adding geothermal capacity to KenGen’s existing hydro-dominated portfolio. South Africa’s approach differs in that it is layering solar directly onto active coal station land, leveraging existing grid connections and road infrastructure to reduce deployment costs and accelerate timescales. Lethabo’s construction-ready status also anchors a broader 2GW near-term pipeline progressing during 2026. Looking further ahead, Eskom Green has stated its intention to expand well beyond Eskom-owned land through public-private partnerships, co-development agreements, and acquisitions of advanced-stage renewable projects in high-resource areas, targeting a diversified portfolio of solar PV, wind, battery storage, pumped storage, and green hydrogen assets of more than 32GW by 2040.

Project Fact Sheet

• Project Name: Lethabo 75MW Solar Power Plant
• Location: Lethabo Power Station, Metsimaholo Local Municipality, Free State Province, South Africa
• Project Value: R1.2 billion (approximately US$65 million)
• Client/Owner: Eskom Green (Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd)
• Technology: Solar photovoltaic (PV)
• Installed Capacity: 75MW
• Annual Generation: Approximately 147GWh
• Site Area: More than 160 hectares of Eskom-owned land
• Procurement Model: On-balance sheet financing within Eskom’s approved capital expenditure programme
• Construction Start: May 2026
• Expected Completion: November 2027
• Households Supplied: Estimated 60,000
• Strategic Context: First of 17 high-priority renewable projects across Eskom’s coal station footprint; part of a 6GW pipeline targeting completion by 2030

Project Team

• Client/Owner: Eskom Green (subsidiary of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd)
• Group Chief Executive: Dan Marokane, Eskom Holdings
• Group Executive, Renewables: Rivoningo Mnisi, Eskom
• Regulatory/Government Authority: Department of Electricity and Energy, Republic of South Africa
• Presiding Minister: Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity and Energy
• Financing Body: Eskom approved capital expenditure programme (National Treasury debt relief framework)
• Main EPC Contractor: Not yet publicly disclosed; likely to be drawn from firms active in South African utility-scale solar such as Voltalia, SunPower, Scatec, or a locally compliant consortium under Eskom’s procurement framework
• Local Government: Metsimaholo Local Municipality (Cllr Jack Malindi, Executive Mayor)