en.Wedoany.com Reported - South Africa's National Energy Regulator (NERSA) has recently approved generation licenses for four utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects under the seventh round (Bid Window 7.3) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), clearing development hurdles for over 1 GW of new installed capacity.
The approved projects involve three independent power producers (IPPs). Red Rocket SA's Sculptor Energy project, located in Mpumalanga Province, has a capacity of 278 MW; Springhaas Solar Facility I and Springhaas Solar Facility VI, both in the Free State Province, have capacities of 277 MW and 206 MW, respectively. The Corona Energy project of French utility company Engie, also in the Free State Province, has a capacity of 288 MW.
NERSA stated that these four projects will provide 890 MW of contracted capacity to South Africa's power system. The regulator received license applications in January and initiated a public consultation process. A public hearing originally scheduled for May was canceled due to the absence of any objections or registrations. NERSA determined that all projects meet the required technical, financial, economic, legal, and regulatory standards.
This approval further expands the project pipeline for REIPPPP Bid Window 7. Since the announcement of the first preferred bidders at the end of 2024, this bid window has seen multiple additional allocations. To date, Bid Window 7 has awarded nearly 5 GW of solar capacity.
Launched in 2011, REIPPPP aims to attract private investment into South Africa's renewable energy sector and drive new capacity expansion to address power supply challenges, including grid constraints and load shedding caused by generation shortfalls. According to data from the Global Solar Council, as of 2025, South Africa's solar PV installed capacity has reached approximately 6.3 GW, with about 1.6 GW added that year. Distributed and commercial & industrial (C&I) solar installations account for over 59% of total capacity. The South African government has set a target of achieving 20 GW of solar PV installed capacity by 2030.
