With a project pipeline spanning off-grid renewable power, solar PV and battery storage across various clients in numerous industries, solar asset management company Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) believes that 2026 will be a defining year for South Africa’s energy transition.

“One of SPS’s most significant and newsworthy projects for 2026 is the Badirammogo Water Use Association (BWUA) water pumping project, in Limpopo,” says SPS chief growth and marketing officer Anja Visagie.

This initiative forms part of the BWUA Olifants Management Model Programme (OMMP).

“SPS’s responsibilities encompass the delivery of comprehensive off-grid renewable energy solutions, consisting of solar PV and battery storage, for essential infrastructure associated with this project,” she adds.

The OMMP is a public-private collaboration between Institutional Members (Government) and Commercial Members (the private sector, including mining companies and industrial users), and is being implemented by BWUA.

This project involves the development of a new pipeline to transport bulk raw water from the Flag Boshielo dam to reservoirs throughout the northern limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex.

Visagie explains that, of the water transported, 40% will be allocated to mines, while 60% will be treated at water treatment facilities, to provide clean drinking water for 140 000 community residents and reducing Mokopane’s water shortages.

SPS is implementing a robust renewable-energy solution that includes about 45 MW of solar PV and 45 MWh of battery storage distributed over three locations – about 15 MW and 15 MWh per site.

Contracts for engineering, procurement and construction, as well as for a comprehensive service level agreement are expected to be concluded in the first quater 2026. SPS will design, operate and maintain these facilities for the next 25 years.

Another significant project is the SlimSun Too Phase 2, a 5 MW independent power producer (IPP) initiative in Malmesbury, in the Western Cape.

Phase 1, also 5 MW, was completed earlier in 2025, and Phase 2 is expected to connect to the same State-owned power utility Eskom substation.

“The electricity generated in both Phases is being sold to the Energy Exchange, positioning SlimSun as one of the early successful IPP-to-trader wheeling ventures in South Africa,” she enthuses.

SPS is also working on a fully off-grid renewable-energy system for a private island , which will feature a 3 MW Solar PV and 8 MWh battery storage system.

“We expect to energise this system early this year,” Visagie comments.

Strategically Planned

SPS has had several strategic partnerships that have advanced renewable-energy deployment across Southern Africa, says Visagie.

“Our Maxwell Solar Project, in Namibia, is a partnership between international gold producer B2Gold, the Maxwell farm owners and local property developer Fortitude.”

The project is Namibia’s first solar wheeling project under Namibian power utility NamPower’s modified single buyer programme that has been successfully commissioned, Engineering News reported in October and December last year.

The 10 MW Maxwell solar plant supplies renewable energy to B2Gold’s Otjikoto Mine, setting a blueprint for future projects in Namibia and the region.

Visagie adds that a 1 MW solar plant has been successfully commissioned at the Darling Green, in Darling in the Western Cape. The projects were spearheaded by SPS, in partnership with Darling Green Country Estate, Darling Green Utility and TouchPoint Energy.

The project supplies clean energy to the estate and sells surplus energy to Swartland municipality under a three-year power purchase agreement. By the end of this period, the estate is expected to have expanded sufficiently to consume most of the energy produced.

Additionally, South African farming enterprise ZZ2 is working with SPS on a multi-site roll-out of renewable-energy infrastructure across its operations.

“This roll-out significantly lowers carbon emissions, reduces and optimises energy costs, and supports sustainable growth in the agricultural sector,” Visagie concludes.