The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has registered 124 renewable energy generation facilities in the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

The solar and wind facilities have a combined capacity of 804 MW with an estimated investment value of R20.18 billion.

NERSA processed the applications within an average of 10 working days, an improvement from the previous financial year’s first quarter when 111 applications were processed in 11 working days.

The regulator registered 122 solar photovoltaic technology facilities with a capacity of 236 MW and two wind technology facilities with a combined capacity of 568 MW.

The facilities are spread across all nine provinces.

Of the 124 registered facilities, 63 are connected to municipal distribution networks, representing a combined capacity of 47 MW and an estimated investment cost of R639 million.

The remaining 61 facilities are connected to the Eskom network, accounting for 757 MW of capacity and approximately R19 541 million in investment.

The average investment cost in the first quarter was approximately R25 099 per kilowatt.

Since the registration regime began in 2018, NERSA has registered 2 619 generation facilities with a combined capacity of 20 131 MW and an estimated total investment cost of approximately R409 billion.

The regulator said the approval of new generation facilities supports grid reliability and safety, improves national electricity planning, encourages private investment, expands generation capacity, strengthens South Africa’s energy security and facilitates the transition to a more competitive, renewable-based electricity sector.

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