Two large wind projects in South Africa’s Western Cape have reached financial close after securing long-term buyers for all the electricity they will produce.
Energy trader Etana Energy has agreed to purchase the full output from the Zen and Bergrivier wind farms for their first 20 years of operation. The projects are being developed by Acciona Energía and together will add close to 190 megawatts of export capacity to the regional grid.
The Zen wind farm will generate 100 MW, while Bergrivier will contribute 94 MW. Both sites are located between Gouda and Saron and are expected to produce roughly 580 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year.
Offtake is the anchor.
With buyers locked in before construction begins, the projects cleared a major risk threshold that often delays privately developed power infrastructure. Etana confirmed that financial close was reached on December 12, allowing construction to move ahead in the coming weeks. Commissioning is planned for mid-2027.
Ownership reflects a blended capital structure. Acciona Energía will hold a 51 percent stake, while the remaining 49 percent will be owned by a joint venture between H1 Capital and Chariot Limited.
The electricity will be supplied directly to Etana’s commercial and industrial clients, including Growthpoint, the V&A Waterfront, Tharisa Minerals, Petra Diamonds, and Autocast. These customers are seeking predictable power supply amid grid constraints and rising electricity costs.
For South Africa’s energy system, the implications are practical rather than symbolic.
The projects are expected to displace roughly 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, equivalent to removing more than 225,000 internal combustion vehicles from the road. More importantly, they add firm, contracted generation capacity outside the state utility framework, easing pressure on a grid that remains vulnerable to outages.
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Etana’s chief executive, Evan Rice, says the two wind farms form part of a broader build-out aimed at covering a substantial share of corporate electricity demand with privately supplied renewable power. With these additions, Etana’s pipeline now includes about 300 MW of wind and solar projects under construction, alongside the operational Boston Hydro facility, all backed by committed buyers.
Demand from businesses continues to shape this market.
Companies are no longer waiting for grid reform or utility recovery. They are contracting supply directly, prioritising price certainty and operational continuity. According to Etana, a significant share of its next phase of projects is already spoken for, shifting the company’s focus from deal-making to execution.
These wind farms underline a key shift in South Africa’s energy transition: progress is being driven less by policy declarations and more by contracts that bind generation, capital, and demand into workable systems.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News. He specializes in conversations around data centers, AI, cloud infrastructure, and energy.
