The largest hybrid renewable energy project in Africa, the Hydra project located near De Aar in the Northern Cape, was recently inaugurated. This R7,6-billion facility represents a transformative approach to addressing the country’s electricity supply constraints while advancing decarbonization goals.

TotalEnergies, together with partners Hydra Storage Holding and Reatile Renewables, officially launched the project on 16 July following its award in March under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.

Hybrid solution for energy security

What sets the Hydra project apart is its innovative combination of a 216 MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 500 MWh battery energy storage system comprising 158 containers and 28 power conversion system (PCS) stations. Unlike conventional solar plants that only generate power during daylight hours, the battery storage system allows electricity generated during the day to be stored and supplied later, ensuring a more stable flow of power to the national grid.

The facility will supply 75 MW of dispatchable renewable electricity continuously between 05:00 and 21:30 under a 20-year power purchase agreement signed with Eskom. This represents more than 400 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 200 000 South African households.

“We are delighted, together with our partners Reatile Renewables and Hydra Storage Holding, to bring the Hydra project into operation. It enables us to supply dispatchable renewable power to the South African grid, thereby strengthening the country’s energy security while decarbonizing its electricity generation,” said Magali Pailhé, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Southern Africa. “This project reinforces our renewable production capacity in South Africa, the continent’s largest power market in terms of electricity consumption.”

Three pillars of impact

Pailhé highlighted three main reasons why this project is important for South Africa. First, it addresses loadshedding by providing clean, firm power to the grid continuously, including during peak demand periods. Second, the scale of the project and its ability to reach 200 000 households makes it a significant contributor to the national energy supply. Third, the project is anchored locally with strong community participation.

The Hydra project created 1 600 jobs during construction peak, with 45% coming from local communities and more than 90% filled by South Africans, demonstrating a strong commitment to local economic development.

Partnership for progress

The Hydra project has been developed by a consortium composed of TotalEnergies (35%), Hydra Storage Holding (35%) and Reatile Renewables (30%).

Hydra Storage Holding is a South African renewable energy developer and independent power producer whose shareholders bring over 15 years of experience and have delivered more than 1 GW of large- and medium-scale renewable energy projects across South Africa.

Reatile Group is a South African diversified investment holding company focused on addressing the energy challenges of the African continent. Over the last 23 years, it has built a considerable portfolio of investments in the energy sector including natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, liquid natural gas, strategic fuel storage and renewable energy. Reatile Renewables holds the growing renewable energy portfolio consisting of wind, solar and battery assets.

TotalEnergies’ renewable energy vision

Vanessa Godefroy, TotalEnergies VP for renewables for Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, noted that the company holds nearly 36 GW of gross renewable power generation capacity worldwide by the end of April 2026 and is targeting more than 100 TWh of net electricity production by 2030.

TotalEnergies is building a competitive portfolio that combines renewables (solar, onshore wind, offshore wind) and flexible assets (combined cycle gas turbine – CCGT, storage) to deliver clean firm power to its customers. The company is active in about 120 countries with more than 100 000 employees.

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