In a major boost for South Africa’s clean energy future, Cape Town-based renewable energy company Red Rocket has become the first developer to reach financial close and begin construction on a project under Eskom’s landmark 2022 land lease initiative.
The company’s Tournee Solar Park, located near Standerton in Mpumalanga, marks a key milestone in Eskom’s drive to unlock renewable energy generation on land near existing power stations.
The project, developed in partnership with Discovery Green as the off-taker, will generate enough clean power to supply around 224,000 South African homes each year.
Once operational, the 300 MW solar facility will produce approximately 720 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, helping to avoid more than 700,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year.
Red Rocket CEO Matteo Brambilla stated that the achievement demonstrates how collaboration between the government and the private sector can deliver large-scale solutions to South Africa’s energy challenges.
“This project brings the vision of the 2022 land lease initiative to life, turning underutilised land into a source of clean, sustainable energy for decades to come.”
Eskom’s Group Executive for Renewables, Rivoningo Mnisi, congratulated Red Rocket, saying the success “exemplifies the potential of public-private collaboration to expand generation capacity and accelerate South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy.”
Spanning an area the size of 800 rugby fields, the Tournee Solar Park will feature more than 460,000 bifacial solar modules mounted on single-axis trackers, connected to the grid via a 132 kV overhead powerline.
Financed through a partnership between Absa, Standard Bank, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the project represents a concrete step toward South Africa’s energy security and decarbonisation goals, and signals a bright, renewable-powered future.
