The Mpumalanga Premier, Mr. Mandla Ndlovu visited a wind energy generating facility (Ummbila Emoyeni) at a Bethal farm today as part of the country’s renewable energy programme. The project is being implemented by a South African-owned company, Seriti Green, to lower the carbon emission footprint and ensure long-term sustainability as a diversified energy producer.
The Ummbila Emoyen farm is located between Bethal and Morgenzon in the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality and will supply its mining operations and Eskom with power generated from the wind through the turbines and is expected to commence full commercial operation
from 2025. The farm is an excellent area for wind development due to high wind speed. It is the first in the Mpumalanga Province and the largest hybrid energy facility in South Africa. It is set to redefine the Province’s journey towards a just energy transition.
A total of 125 wind turbines are planned. Each would be about 210m high with 90m blades
The visit to Ummbila Emoyeni is part of the Premier’s stakeholder engagement process to interact with different stakeholders such as the businesses and investors, to understand their impact whilst sustaining the relations.
Seriti Green has launched the first phase of its R25 billion wind farm project in Mpumalanga.
The group plans to build 900MW of renewable wind energy projects over the next three years, with the first phase being the 155MW Ummbila Emoyeni facility.
Construction on the facility is currently underway and is expected to be completed in mid-2026, costing just under R5 billion.
The project is being funded by Seriti shareholders Standard Bank and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB).
The project is the first since Seriti Resources, one of South Africa’s largest coal miners, announced its acquisition of Windlab and the subsequent launch of Seriti Green in 2023.
Chairman of Seriti Green and Group CEO of Seriti Resources, Mike Teke and CEO of Seriti Green, Peter Venn noted that this is the biggest wind farm of its kind in South Africa and also the first in Mpumalanga.
It is anticipated that it will supply 75% of the power needs of Seriti’s coal mines, which will impact the group’s efficiency, sustainability, and profitability.
