Eskom Green, the new renewables subsidiary of the South African electricity utility, is taking solar power to its coal-fired power stations.

It has started work on building a ZAR1.2 billion 75 MW solar power station at its Lethabo complex in the Free State.

It is part of the utility’s broader scheme of 17 priority projects to integrate renewables at its existing industrial sites, adding 6 GW of new capacity by 2030, reports Business Tech. Construction is expected to start on these projects by 2028.

The Lethabo solar site is expected to deliver 147 GWh of electricity a year, enough to power 60 000 households.

‘By leveraging existing power station infrastructure, this [Lethabo] project demonstrates the practical integration of renewable-energy technology within our existing coal-fired power station fleet infrastructure and signals Eskom’s continued commitment to strengthening security of supply while transitioning toward a lower-carbon future,’ according to Eskom group executive for renewables, Rivoningo Mnisi, as reported in Engineering News.

Eskom said funding ‘has been provisioned within Eskom’s approved capital expenditure programme and will be financed through on‑balance sheet funding, in line with National Treasury debt relief conditions, without reliance on additional project finance borrowing’.

2 June 2026
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