Renewable-energy company BluEnergy Trading – a subsidiary of JSE-listed Blu Label Unlimited – has been granted a multi-year energy trading licence by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

BluEnergy will focus on aggressively building out its project pipeline, operationalising trading activities in line with its mandate to support South Africa’s transition to a more resilient, decentralised and sustainable power system.

This regulatory approval empowers BluEnergy to deliver innovative renewable-energy solutions across the energy value chain by connecting municipalities, independent power producers and energy users, and thereby ensuring a more resilient and cost-effective energy supply for local communities, it says.

“This licence is a critical enabler of BluEnergy’s strategy because it allows us to actively participate in the buying and selling of power. By combining long-term power purchase agreements with proven prepaid revenue collection and settlement infrastructure, we are removing the barriers to entry and providing municipalities with a secure, long-term solution for their energy needs,” says BluEnergy CEO Aaron Suckerman.

Its execution and delivery capability is underpinned by its partnership with prepaid electricity vending company Cigicell, which has prepaid electricity vending and revenue assurance systems embedded in more than 95 municipalities across all nine provinces.

BluEnergy operates through three specialised entities spanning project development, namely asset ownership, operations and maintenance and energy procurement and trading.

This integrated approach enables the company to manage the technical and commercial aspects of energy delivery, grid integration, wheeling frameworks and contractual performance.

The model is designed to support localised generation and efficient energy flows by offering end-to-end solutions for municipalities and energy users.

“Energy accessibility is a foundational marker of economic growth and social development,” says Blu Label co-CEO Mark Levy.

“BluEnergy’s ability to act as both offtaker and trader, supported by Blu Label’s strong balance sheet and fintech capabilities, positions the business to deliver sustainable energy solutions at scale while contributing meaningfully to the national energy transition and decarbonisation,” he comments.

By enabling efficient energy management and reliable offtake, BluEnergy will support improved municipal resilience, financial performance and service delivery. These outcomes create the conditions for broader economic growth, infrastructure investment and community development, he adds.