Anthem Renewable Energy Secures Financial Close For 475 MW Notsi Solar Project In South Africa

A major renewable energy milestone has been reached in South Africa with the financial close of the Notsi solar photovoltaic project, one of the largest solar developments in the country. The project has been launched by Anthem Renewable Energy, a large renewable energy investment holding company and independent power producer focused on developing clean energy infrastructure. The Notsi solar project is located in the Free State province and has a generation capacity of 475 MWac, equivalent to 620 MWdc. With this scale, it currently stands as the largest solar PV project in South Africa. The electricity generated by the facility will mainly supply the commercial and industrial sectors through long-term power offtake agreements with Discovery Green and NOA Group.

The solar development covers an area of more than 1,000 hectares and will include over 860,000 solar panels once construction is completed. To understand the size of the project, the land area is roughly equal to more than 1,000 rugby fields or just over 40 airport runways at Cape Town International Airport or O. R. Tambo International Airport. When fully operational, the facility is expected to generate approximately 1.5 million megawatt-hours of clean electricity each year. This amount of energy could supply around 140,000 households annually. Anthem is the main investor, developer, and electricity generator for the Notsi project and will also manage the facility over the long term.

The company is working in partnership with Reatile Group, which has joined the project as an equity partner. Construction of the solar plant is expected to take about 26 months to complete. The project will operate using a multi-offtaker wheeling model. Under this structure, electricity produced by the solar plant will be transmitted through the national grid operated by Eskom. Through long-term trading agreements lasting 20 years or more, Discovery Green and NOA will purchase the electricity and supply it to commercial and industrial customers across the country.

According to James Cumming, the Notsi project was intentionally developed at a large scale to deliver affordable wholesale electricity to private-sector customers. The project also includes upgrades to the national grid infrastructure, which are being implemented on behalf of Eskom and National Transmission Company South Africa. Cumming noted that the size and strategic importance of the project reflect the growing role of energy wheeling in South Africa’s electricity market. He described the development as beneficial for investors, lenders, and energy buyers while also supporting the country’s broader energy transition.

Simphiwe Mehlomakulu explained that the investment demonstrates the ability of locally based capital to play an important role in expanding renewable energy infrastructure. He emphasized that the project highlights the progress being made in South Africa’s renewable energy market while also helping improve energy security and support a fair and balanced energy transition. Financing for the project was arranged through a group of lenders and financial institutions. The financing consortium includes Standard Bank, Nedbank, Absa Group, Vantage GreenX Note III, and Third Way Investment Partners.

The engineering, procurement, and construction work for the project will be carried out by a joint venture between China Energy Engineering Corporation and the Northwest Electric Power Design Institute. After the first few years of operation, Anthem will take responsibility for the plant’s operations and maintenance starting in the third year of the project’s operational life. In addition to producing renewable electricity, the Notsi project is expected to contribute to local development. During the operational phase, Anthem plans to invest in socio-economic initiatives in surrounding communities. These programs will be designed based on assessments of local needs and resources to ensure that development efforts deliver meaningful and effective benefits.