By: Green building Africa

Two utility-scale solar projects in South Africa’s Free State province, developed by ABO Energy, have been granted preferred bidder status under the government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) Bid Window 7. The projects, with capacities of 170 MW and 240 MW, were awarded following a successful bid by Red Rocket South Africa, which holds an option to acquire the project rights.

The awards were part of a broader announcement confirming four additional solar photovoltaic bidders, adding 890 MW of new capacity to the procurement round. According to the Department of Electricity and Energy, the new selections increase the total capacity awarded under Bid Window 7 to 3,940 MW across 18 projects nationwide. The Minister, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, estimated the new tranche represents an R16 billion investment and should connect to the grid within 24 months.

All preferred bidders have committed to 49% South African ownership and an average Black Economic Empowerment participation of 40%, terms that will be formalized in implementation agreements. The Minister noted that strong market interest, alongside limited wind energy submissions, created an opportunity to reallocate capacity to solar, enabling the government to advance these additional projects.

ABO Energy's General Manager for South Africa, Rob Invernizzi, stated that the outcome validates the company's long-term development strategy and effective partnership with Red Rocket.