Two leading local energy companies Red Cap Energy and independent power producer (IPP) Anthem have entered a partnership to construct the Nuweveld Wind Farm. This renewable energy project will have a capacity of 720 megawatts. The wind farm project is located in the upper Karoo region of the Western Cape. Currently, the development has secured grid capacity allocation and registration with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). Additionally, the wind farm will have 100 kilometres (km) transmission line. This transmission line has been permitted to connect the renewable energy projects to the grid. Also, once the wind farm is constructed, it will be South Africa’s largest private wind farm to date.
Mark Tanton, the CEO at Red Cap Energy, stated, “Mega projects like this are key to ensuring a sustainable power supply over the next decade and beyond. We’re currently experiencing relief from load shedding. This is due to the Eskom plant turnaround and reduced industrial demand. However, that could change. When industrial activity picks up again, the country will need a significant amount of new generation capacity. Wind energy offers a strong complement to South Africa’s existing generation base. This is because it can balance the country’s reliance on coal and provide clean, cost-effective power during peak demand periods.”
Nuweveld Wind Farm Factsheet
Location: Upper Karoo region, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Approximately 65 km north of Beaufort West and 30 km south of Loxton.
Total capacity: 720MW
Project structure: Comprises of three separate 240 MW facilities
Project owners / developers: Anthem (70% equity) and Red Cap Energy (30% equity)
Timeline:
- Construction start: Anticipated mid-2026.
- Commercial operation date : Expected late 2028.
Turbine details: A total of 105 turbines are planned with approximately 35 per facility. Each turbine will have a nameplate capacity of about 8 MW.
Significance: once operational, it will be the largest private wind farm in South Africa. Also, it will contribute significantly to the national energy transition. This is particularly as older coal-fired power stations are scheduled for decommissioning around 2030.
Timeline
The Nuweveld Wind Farm is expected to come online in late 2028. The project comes at a crucial point and joins projects such as the Carissa Wind Project in the country’s energy transition. This is as South Africa faces the decommissioning of ageing coal-fired power stations in the coming few years. Several Eskom plants must be decommissioned by 2030 as a result of age and environmental non-compliance. Considering the long development timeframe of power plants, projects like Nuweveld present an opportunity to firm up the energy supply gaps along the way.
James Cumming, the CEO at Anthem, said, “Both Anthem and Red Cap saw the value in collaborating on this project, which is progressing to the budget quote phase. After seven years in development, we’ll manage the next stages together. Therefore, this will allow merging Anthem’s deep sector expertise in owning and operating renewable energy projects across the country with Red Cap’s experience as developers.”
A Key Factor for the Project’s Success
A crucial factor in the success of the project so far has been Red Cap’s ability to take on the development of the 100km transmission line. This is drawn on their experience developing a 116km transmission line as part of their work on the Impofu Wind Farms, which was South Africa’s largest private wind farm at the time.
“When it comes to getting a project over the line and securing grid access – being proactive has been a key tenet of our success. Our experience with Impofu, as well as the trust-based relationships we’ve nurtured with landowners whose properties the lines have to cross, have been critical to making these projects viable,” said Tanton.
What will the Nuweveld Wind Farm Project Comprise of
The Nuweveld Wind Farm Projects will consist of three 240MW facilities. The facilities will be located 65km North of Beaufort West and 30km South of Loxton. Furthermore, all three projects were registered with Nersa as private sector projects in April and May 2025. As a result of this development, as well as several others in the area, the Western Cape has climbed to second place, after Limpopo, for megawatts registered by private companies. This is according to Nersa data up to mid-September 2025.
