Renewable-energy developer and independent power producer Mulilo has successfully reached financial close on the Orkney solar PV facility, a 219 MW direct current solar PV project with a contracted export capacity of 150 MW alternating current, located about 11 km south-west of the town of Orkney, in the North West province.

The company says this project represents an important milestone in Mulilo’s ambitious strategy to deliver 1 GW/y of new generation capacity, reinforcing the company’s role as a leading contributor to South Africa’s energy transition.

Mulilo expresses that a power purchase agreement (PPA) has been concluded with energy trader Etana Energy in record time, demonstrating strong market confidence in the project’s technical and commercial fundamentals, as well as Mulilo and Etana’s ability to execute at pace.

Once operational, the Orkney solar PV facility is expected to generate about 478 GWh/y of clean electricity, which will be sold to Etana’s customers across South Africa.

Mulilo explains that this will result in the avoidance of over 500 000 t/y of CO₂-equivalent emissions.

The facility will connect to the Jersey Distribution Substation through a newly built 24 km overhead transmission line, ensuring seamless integration into the regional electricity network.

It has also been designed to be battery energy storage system- (BESS-) ready, enabling future integration of storage capacity to enhance grid flexibility and dispatchability.

Mulilo says this success was made possible through the support of its shareholders, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Norfund, as well as close collaboration with Mulilo’s funding, legal and advisory partners — including Absa Bank, Standard Bank South Africa, Fasken, Arup, PepperTree Capital and ENS Africa — whose collective expertise underpinned a robust and disciplined process.

In a separate media release, Etana explains that this milestone means it has now closed more than 500 MW of renewable-energy projects in the last 12 months, inclusive of the previously announced 105 MW Du Plessis Dam solar PV2 project, in the Northern Cape, and the 100 MW Zen and 94 MW Bergrivier wind farms, in the Western Cape.

Etana points out that it is also already actively wheeling electricity to real estate investment trust Growthpoint Properties’ premises across South Africa from the 5 MW Boston hydroelectric plant in the Free State, which reached commercial operations in October 2025.

“The financial close of the Orkney solar PV project marks an important milestone in advancing Mulilo’s commitment to strengthening South Africa’s energy security,” says Mulilo CEO Jan Fourie.

“This achievement reflects the strength of our partnerships, the capabilities of our team, and the growing role of private-sector generation in solving South Africa’s energy challenges.

“We are honoured to work with Etana Energy and our partners to deliver clean, reliable power and lasting economic value to the North West province and beyond”.

“This project marks another significant step in Etana Energy’s growth, with the Orkney solar plant being more than double the size of our first solar project under construction with Mulilo.

“The speed at which this project has reached financial close demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Mulilo, the bankability of our respective structures, and the accelerating demand from customers for reliable, large-scale renewable electricity delivered through Etana’s platform,” adds Etana chief commercial and legal officer Jay Govender.