A 720 MW wind power development planned for the Upper Karoo has secured grid capacity and registration with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).
The Nuweveld wind farm, a partnership between independent power producer Anthem and developer Red Cap Energy, will comprise three 240 MW facilities located about 65 km north of Beaufort West and 30 km south of Loxton in the Western Cape. All three projects were registered with NERSA as private-sector generation facilities between April and May 2025.
If completed as planned, Nuweveld’s 720 MW capacity will make it the largest privately developed wind farm in South Africa, says Mark Tanton, CEO of Red Cap Energy.
The development includes a 100 km transmission line to connect the wind farm to the national grid. Red Cap, which built a 116 km line for the Impofu wind farms, is managing the new line’s development. The project has already received environmental approval for the connection infrastructure.
The Nuweveld wind farm is expected to enter commercial operation in late 2028, coinciding with the planned decommissioning of several Eskom coal-fired power stations that must close by 2030 due to age and environmental compliance requirements, Tanton says. The additional capacity is expected to play a key role in offsetting supply shortfalls as industrial demand recovers and older plants are retired.
