By securing its Environmental Authorisation (EA), the Carissa Wind Energy Facility located near Beaufort West in the Western Cape is now officially the largest permitted wind energy facility in South Africa.
With a capacity of up to 1 000 MW and 154 wind turbines, the clean energy of the Carissa Wind Energy Facility will supply Hive Hydrogen’s pioneering green ammonia production facility in the Port of Ngqura (Coega), Eastern Cape.
Triumph of collaboration, environmental stewardship
Early in September, Hive Hydrogen announced that the successful permitting of the Carissa Wind Energy Facility is the result of a seamless partnership between Hive Hydrogen (Coega Green Ammonia project sponsor which is the committed off-taker), AMDA Developments (project developer), and Blue Crane Environmental (independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner).
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment endorsed the process, granting EA within a streamlined timeframe.
Thulani Gcabashe, chairperson of Hive Hydrogen South Africa, remarked they are delighted that the Carissa Wind Project has achieved this major milestone.
“This concludes the Environmental Impact Assessment work on all of the Hive Hydrogen’s 3 300 MW of renewable energy assets, and the R105 bn Coega Green Ammonia project can now commence with its front-end engineering design.”
Construction is targeted to begin in early 2027 with commissioning scheduled for December 2029.
Piero Granelli, head of AMDA’s South African operations, commented that since 2010, AMDA has grown its renewable energy portfolio in South Africa to over 5 000 MW.
Marélie Botha and Lisa de Lange, directors of Blue Crane Environmental, remarked that close coordination with specialists and AMDA’s development team ensured every aspect of the project was carefully considered, with responsible development at the forefront.
Powered by renewable energy
Hive Hydrogen, backed by Hive Energy and Built Africa, has been working since September 2019 on establishing a large-scale green ammonia plant in South Africa powered by renewable energy to produce 1 000 000 tons a year.
The Coega Green Ammonia Project is in its final stage of development and is on track to commence front-end engineering design in November 2025 and conclude final investment decisions by July 2026.
Hive Energy is headquartered in Hampshire, United Kingdom, with offices in 22 countries and also has large-scale green hydrogen development projects in Spain, Chile and Turkey.
