Name of the Project
Sasol and Air Liquide large-scale renewable-energy project.

Location
The wind turbines are to be installed in the Kouga and the Oyster Bay municipalities, about 15 km from Humansdorp, in the Eastern Cape, in South Africa, and wheeled over the national grid.

Project Owner/s
Synfuel producer Sasol and industrial gas and services provider Air Liquide.

The companies are acting jointly, following the R8.5-billion acquisition by Air Liquide in July 2020 of Sasol’s air separation units (ASUs) at the Secunda site, in Mpumalanga, which are fully integrated into the chemicals and energy complex.

Project Description
Sasol and Air Liquide formally announced plans in April 2021 to jointly procure 900 MW of renewable-energy capacity from independent power producers (IPPs) by 2031, with an allocation of 500 MW to Sasol and 400 MW to Air Liquide.

Enel Green Power announced in January 2023 that it would supply 220 MW of wind power to Air Liquide and Sasol from projects scheduled to go online in 2025.

Under two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), Enel will deliver the clean electricity to Sasol’s Secunda site through wheeling. 
In November 2023, Air Liquide and Sasol signed new PPAs with Mainstream Renewable Power for the long-term supply of 97.5 MW of renewable power to Sasol’s Secunda site.

In addition, in February 2024, Sasol and Air Liquide concluded three PPAs with Enel Green Power for the long-term supply of 330 MW of renewable power to Sasol’s Secunda site. The 330 MW wind facility, close to Oyster Bay, in the Eastern Cape, will be one of the biggest wind-powered facilities in Southern Africa and will provide more than 1 100 GWh/y of clean energy.  The wind farms are scheduled to be operational by 2026.

This brings the total PPA’s contributing to renewable-energy capacity secured by Sasol and Air Liquide to more than 600 MW.  

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
The renewable electricity from the projects is scheduled to be operational in 2025/26.

Latest Developments
The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has been appointed to act as a co-mandated lead arranger alongside Absa and Nedbank to provide debt funding and black economic-empowerment equity funding for three large-scale wind farms and 120 km of transmission lines, in the Eastern Cape.

This project aligns with the DBSA Embedded Generation Investment Programme and the bank’s commitment to promoting clean energy and sustainable development.

The overall project, comprising 330 MW of renewable-energy capacity, will supply industrial customers Sasol and Air Liquide under a 20-year power purchase agreement. 

The project sponsors are Enel Green Power and the Perpetua Holdings consortium.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Enel Green Power and the Perpetua Holdings consortium (wind farms).

Contact Details for Project Information
Sasol head of group media relations Alex Anderson, tel +27 10 344 6509 or email alex.anderson@sasol.com.