A 506 MW solar power project under development north of Welkom is set to become one of South Africa’s largest private renewable energy investments.
The Khauta Solar PV project, developed by NOA Group and acquired from PNE AG, is located approximately 30 km north of Welkom, near Riebeeckstad. The facility features more than 715 000 solar panels spread across 560 ha.
The project is divided into two phases: Khauta South with a capacity of 349 MW and Khauta West with 157 MW. Once operational, the facility is expected to generate approximately 1 073 GWh of electricity annually.
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NOA Group, backed by the African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), reached financial close on the project in 2025 with support from Standard Bank. Khauta West is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2026, while Khauta South is expected to follow in the first quarter of 2027.
The facility will connect to the national grid via a new overhead power line to the Eskom Leander substation. The project aims to ease constraints on South Africa’s national grid and will serve commercial and industrial customers through wheelable solutions.
Chinese manufacturer Trina Solar produced thousands of solar panels for the project. Khauta was the largest solar PV project in the country when contracts were signed in May 2025, but the 540 MW Kenhardt solar power complex commissioned later in 2025 made Khauta the second-largest solar project in South Africa.
The project represents a significant addition to South Africa’s renewable energy capacity as the country works to address ongoing electricity supply challenges.
