A Historic Milestone for Eskom Green

Eskom Green has officially started construction on a R1.2 billion solar power plant at the Lethabo Power Station in the Free State. This marks a major turning point for South Africa’s energy landscape.

For the very first time, the state utility is building a utility-scale renewable energy project directly on the land of an existing coal-fired power station.

This project is fully funded by Eskom’s approved capital expenditure programme, meaning it requires no additional project finance borrowing.

Fast Facts: The Lethabo Solar Project

• Capacity: The new plant will generate 75 Megawatts (MW) of solar power.
• Energy Output: It is expected to produce roughly 147 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean electricity every year.
• Homes Powered: The project will supply enough green energy for about 60,000 households.
• Completion Date: Construction is moving fast and is set to finish by November 2027.

Transforming Coal Plants into Green Hubs

The Lethabo project is not just a single solar farm; it is the first step in a massive national rollout. Eskom plans to build 17 high-priority renewable projects across its old coal power stations.

These future sites will be strategically located at well-known power stations like Arnot, Duvha, Majuba, Kusile, and Kendal.

By the year 2030, Eskom aims to add a massive 6 Gigawatts (GW) of new clean capacity through these combined projects.

Why Build Solar on Coal Sites?

Building solar farms on existing coal station land makes a lot of technical and financial sense.

• Faster Connections: It bypasses standard grid-connection delays because the heavy transmission lines and substations are already there.
• Lower Costs: Leveraging existing land and road infrastructure reduces overall deployment costs significantly.
• Grid Stability: Integrating renewable energy into established footprints protects the national grid while smoothly evolving the energy mix.

Beating the “Death Spiral” with Renewable Energy

Eskom’s pivot to green energy comes at a critical time for its business. Former leaders have previously warned that the utility was facing an unstoppable “death spiral”.

Because electricity tariffs have skyrocketed by more than 1,100% since 2007, many customers have moved to private rooftop solar generation to save money. In fact, in the first 21 weeks of 2026, Eskom’s energy demand dropped by 10% compared to 2025.

To adapt to this changing market, Eskom Green plans to grow its portfolio to an incredible 32GW of renewable energy and storage by 2040.

Are You Going Solar? Eskom Can Help

If you are installing solar panels at home to beat the rising costs, you must register your system by law.

To make this easier and cheaper, Eskom is offering up to R10,000 in assistance for households with systems under 50kVA. This amazing initiative includes waiving all registration fees and providing a free smart meter until March 2026.

Good News: A Winter Without Load Shedding

Thanks to improved maintenance and new capacity projects, Eskom recently celebrated a major milestone of over 341 days without load shedding.

The utility’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has improved remarkably, rising to 65.16% in the 2026 financial year.

Because of this incredible grid recovery, Eskom’s official 2026 Winter Outlook proudly predicts zero days of load shedding for the upcoming winter season.