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South Africa expands renewable generation as wind projects enter operational phase
11/8/2026
News
Seriti Green has commenced commercial operation of the 155MW first phase of the Ummbila Emoyeni wind farm in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Chinese turbine manufacturer Goldwind supplied 25 GWH182-6.2MW smart turbines with a rotor diameter of 183.5 m, reportedly the largest currently operational in South Africa.
The wind farm site is also said to be the first utility-scale wind energy facility built in northwestern Mpumalanga Province. The project is part of a larger hybrid renewable energy complex that will integrate 750MW of wind, 150MW of solar photovoltaic capacity and 800MWh of battery storage. Construction of the second and third phases is underway, with full site completion targeted for 2027.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng attended the formal commissioning ceremony, at which Goldwind and Seriti Green signed a formal cooperation agreement for the development of Phase 4.
For the construction of the first phase, engineers adapted the GWH182-6.2MW turbines to operate effectively at Mpumalanga’s high altitude and during frequent thunderstorms. The turbines feature automated control systems with health diagnostics, load adaptation and grid-supportive algorithms to protect equipment during extreme weather.
The 155MW initial phase is said to generate approximately 480,000MWh of electricity annually, supplying approximately 500,000 average households. In addition, environmental assessments estimated the site will reduce CO2 emissions by 400,000 t/y. Goldwind projects its operational installed capacity in South Africa will exceed 2.2GW by 2Q2027.
This Mpumalanga commission follows the June 2026 start of commercial operation of the 330MW Impofu wind farm cluster in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Enel Green Power began construction on Impofu North in 2024, which was the first of the three 110MW facilities to achieve commercial operation. Impofu East began commercial operation in May 2026, followed by Impofu West in June 2026. A 116km, 132kV high-voltage overhead transmission line, said to be the longest high-voltage transmission line constructed by a private entity in the country, was built to connect the cluster to the national grid.
Owner Enel Green Power secured three long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Sasol South Africa and Air Liquide South Africa to commercialise the full 330MW output. Under these terms, the PPAs assign the total electricity generated by the three wind facilities to Sasol's Secunda facility in Mpumalanga Province, where Air Liquide operates a large industrial oxygen production plant.
Commenting on the agreement, Sasol Executive Vice President for Business Building, Strategy and Technology Sarushen Pillay stated: ‘The 330MW Impofu wind cluster… brings our total online renewable energy intake to over 500MW, with a further 700MW in construction.’
Pillay added: ‘Impofu demonstrates how strategic partnerships can unlock new generation capacity, strengthening South Africa’s energy security while achieving real carbon footprint reduction.’
Highlighting industrial progress, Air Liquide Chief Executive Officer for Africa, Middle East and India Nicolas Poirot said: ‘This is a major step toward our commitment to reduce CO2 emissions at our Secunda operations by 30–40% by 2031.’
