Four international and South African IPP firms are preparing to challenge Eskom on electricity generation and distribution

The table below summarises the current power capacity installed by the four biggest IPPs in South Africa and the capacity they plan to add before the end of the decade.

IPP	Installed capacity	Capacity under development
Scatec ASA	730MW	1,100MW
Infinity Power	624MW	3,600MW
Red Rocket	520MW	4,000MW
Mulilo Energy	415MW	5,000MW
Total	2,289MW	13,700MW

As South Africa shifts its energy mix towards greater renewable sources, a significant portion of new electricity generation is anticipated to come from private power purchase agreements.

Numerous independent power producers (IPPs) are currently providing substantial electricity to South Africa’s grid and intend to install several gigawatts of additional capacity by the decade’s close.

A study by Green Cape has projected that the private sector will contribute an additional 6,000MW of solar energy and 3,500MW of wind energy in the nation by 2030.

IPPs are already providing substantial quantities of electricity to the grid. Besides Eskom’s Sere wind farm, the entirety of the nation’s 7,100MW utility-scale renewable energy is sourced from IPPs.

SECURECOMM – JUST POWER analyzed the major existing players and pinpointed the four largest IPPs based on capacity — Scatec ASA, Infinity Power, Red Rocket, and Mulilo Energy.

The Norwegian company Scatec ASA holds the largest total renewable capacity in South Africa, operating at 730MW.

Scatec has participated in South Africa’s renewable energy shift from its inception, having received preferred bidder status in the initial renewable energy IPP procurement program (REIPPP).

The 75MW Kalkbult Solar Plant began commercial operations in March 2014, making it the first privately-managed renewable energy facility to feed power into Eskom’s grid

The biggest part of its contribution comes from its Kenhardt hybrid plant, which entered commercial operation in December 2023.

The facility consists of a 540MW solar farm paired with a 1,140MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) with a peak output of 225MW and contracted output of 150MW.

Scatec was recently awarded preferred bidder status for 846MW of solar power projects in the reallocation of capacity under REIPPP Bid Window 7.

The company has also won preferred bidder status in the battery energy storage procurement programme.

The company has over 1,100MW of new solar or battery capacity currently in development or under construction.

The second largest renewable IPP in South Africa is Infinity Power, which acquired about 624MW of wind power from five farms previously operated by Lekela Power.

Two of these farms are adjacent — Loeriesfontein 2 and Khobab — and boast a combined 286MW capacity, the most of any wind power facility in the country.

The company was a major winner in the REIPPP Bid Window 7, securing preferred bidder status for six of the eight advertised solar power projects. These will have a combined capacity of 1,280MW.

It has roughly 3,600MW of solar and wind power capacity under development in South Africa, as well as 3,388MWh of utility-scale battery storage.

The third largest IPP by installed capacity is Cape Town-headquartered Red Rocket, with 520MW of capacity installed as of August 2025.

It has two major projects under construction — the 275MW Virginia Solar Park and 400MW Overberg Wind Farm.

The latter will be South Africa’s largest wind farm and among the biggest onshore wind farms in the world. It is expected to enter commercial operation in 2026.

Red Rocket was also awarded 590MW of solar power projects under REIPPP Bid Window 7. These comprise three solar power plants — two with 293MW capacities and a third with 260MW.

The last major IPP is Mulilo Energy, which has 420MW of solar and wind projects in operation in South Africa, 667MW in construction, and 1,500MW of capacity nearing financial close.

Its most powerful facility is the Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North wind farm, with 140MW of generating capacity.

Mulilo has also secured preferred bidder status for numerous BESS projects totalling over 1,000MW capacity.

Four international and South African IPP firms are preparing to challenge Eskom on electricity generation and distribution

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