South Africa’s largest privately developed renewable energy project has reached full commercial operation this month, as the 140 MW Hartebeesthoek Wind Farm, the final component of Envusa Energy’s Koruson 2 cluster, crossed its commercial operation date in June 2026.
The milestone completes a 520 MW generation complex spanning two provinces, representing a R15 billion private sector investment and delivering one of the most significant industrial energy transitions in the country’s modern mining history.
The Koruson 2 Cluster: Scale and Structure
The Koruson 2 cluster combines 240 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity from the Mooi Plaats facility with two wind farms, Umsobomvu and Hartebeesthoek, each contributing 140 MW, located on the border of South Africa’s Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces.
The project represents a R15 billion investment and a major milestone for the Envusa Energy joint venture between Anglo American and EDF Power Solutions, underscoring the growing role of private sector participation in advancing South Africa’s energy transition and addressing long-standing power supply constraints.
Electricity generated by the project is transmitted through an innovative wheeling arrangement across the Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd transmission network, supplying key industrial users including Kumba Iron Ore, De Beers Group and Valterra Platinum, enabling significant progress toward their decarbonisation targets while enhancing long-term energy security.
Sequential Execution
The cluster reached full operational status through a sequence of commercial milestones executed over four months. The Umsobomvu Wind Project, with a capacity of 140 MW, officially reached its Commercial Operation Date just weeks after the COD of the Mooi Plaats Solar PV project, which has a capacity of 240 MW, marking a pivotal moment in the rollout of the Koruson 2 energy cluster.
The rapid back-to-back execution model demonstrated by Envusa reflects regulatory improvements, with Mooi Plaats and Umsobomvu reaching commercial operation dates within weeks of each other. New wheeling regulations allow mining companies to aggregate renewable generation across provinces while sharing transmission infrastructure costs, enabling optimal renewable resource site selection independent of mining operation locations and significantly improving project economics.
All three projects are connected to the Koruson 400 kV main transmission substation, which was developed as part of EDF Power Solutions’ Koruson 1 cluster and is designed to integrate up to 1.5 GW of renewable energy into the national grid.
Mining Sector Offtake and Decarbonisation Commitments
The energy infrastructure is directly linked to long-term industrial supply agreements. Anglo American’s three businesses in South Africa, including Anglo American Platinum, Kumba Iron Ore, and De Beers, have committed to 20-year offtake agreements with Envusa Energy. These agreements will see Anglo American Platinum receiving 461 MW of supply, Kolomela mine 11 MW, and Venetia mine 48 MW.
The operationalisation of these renewable energy facilities is anticipated to significantly displace coal-fired generation, with the combined 520 MW capacity expected to mitigate around 2.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
What It Signals
The completion of Koruson 2 establishes a replicable template for privately financed, mining-sector-anchored renewable energy infrastructure in South Africa. With wheeling regulations now enabling cross-provincial energy aggregation, the project demonstrates that large-scale industrial clean energy delivery can be executed at pace without dependence on state procurement cycles.
Tristan de Drouas, Vice President of EDF Power Solutions for Southern Africa, said: “Umsobomvu reaching COD confirms what we have always believed about Envusa Energy, that it is a platform built on exceptional execution. Two CODs in successive months is a remarkable achievement, and it reflects the strength of the Anglo American and EDF Power Solutions partnership that underpins this venture.”
For South Africa’s mining sector, which remains one of the most energy-intensive on the continent, Koruson 2 represents a turning point. The project proves that the country’s industrial base can secure reliable, cost-competitive, low-carbon power at scale through private capital, long-term offtake discipline, and reformed grid access frameworks. Its completion this month positions South Africa as a credible execution environment for the next wave of industrial renewable energy investment.
