Seriti invested R25b in wind energy project near Bethal
The 155 MW wind energy facility's first phase is under construction and expected to be completed in July 2026.
Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, is impressed with an R25b wind energy generating project developed in Bethal.
He said this would create more jobs and continue to reposition the province as an energy hub for the country.
Ndlovu visited the wind energy farm at Umbila Emoyeni in Bethal to observe the project on September 5.
Afterwards, Ndlovu addressed the media at the Blue Gum Lodge in Bethal where he said his government supported the project, implemented by Seriti Green, to use the wind to generate electricity and supply electricity to the Eskom grid.
Seriti Green CEO Mr Peter Venn, who said the project will have 125 turbines erected at least in three years, took Ndlovu on a site tour.
“I want to thank Seriti for such an investment in our province and the country. Last week, the minerals and energy minister, Gwede Mantashe, and I visited Leandra to see how we could extend a coal power station’s lifespan through carbon capture and storage,” said Ndlovu.
“Mpumalanga must be at the forefront of the energy transition and investors are checking on us if we are positioning ourselves well,” said Ndlovu.
The 155 MW wind energy facility’s first phase is under construction and expected to be completed in July 2026.
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The entire project, which will ultimately generate 900MW power (750 MW from wind and 150 MW from solar), is scheduled to be fully operational by 2027. Mantashe on August 30 officially unveiled the carbon capture site in Leandra to demonstrate the progress made concerning the geological characterisation phase.
He also received a copy of the special report ‘Geological characterisation of a proposed carbon sequestration site in Govan Mbeki Municipality’ from the Council for Geoscience.
The Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) Mayor Nhlakanipo Zuma said that the GMM supports carbon capture research and its implementation towards attaining a net zero carbon economy.
Zuma mentioned this research is congruent with the municipality’s strategic direction on energy and developmental imperatives.
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