Red Cap Energy

02/03/2026

SAWEA’s Standing Committees play a crucial role in convening expertise, addressing industry challenges, and turning strategy into practical action across the wind sector.

We are proud that Matthew Law will continue to serve as Chair of the Project Development Standing Committee, helping to guide technical dialogue, shape policy inputs, and strengthen collaboration on key priorities for the industry.

SAWEA’s Standing Committees remain central to how the Association convenes expertise, addresses industry challenges, and translates strategy into practical action.
Following the 2026 AGM, we are pleased to confirm the Standing Committee Chairs and Deputy Chairs who will lead these platforms in the year ahead.

These leadership roles are critical in guiding technical dialogue, shaping policy inputs, strengthening collaboration, and advancing priority focus areas across the wind energy value chain – from grid and market readiness to asset management, skills development, socio-economic impact, and regulatory reform.

We congratulate all appointed Chairs and Deputy Chairs and thank you for your willingness to lead on behalf of the sector.
Your stewardship ensures that SAWEA’s working platforms remain impactful, solutions-driven, and responsive to member needs.

We look forward to the work ahead and the continued progress these committees will drive across the industry.

10/02/2026

The January dust has settled and 2026 is now in full swing and after an incredible year for renewables in 2025, we’re poised for a consequential 2026.

To recap - last year, renewables overtook coal globally for the first time, while South Africa’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2025) set out ambitious new wind energy targets. The plan more than doubles the total onshore wind allocation relative to IRP 2019 (34 GW by 2039 vs 14.4 GW by 2030), which is a very positive signal for the South African wind energy sector.

This momentum comes at a crucial time. With the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) taking effect in 2026, South Africa’s carbon‑intensive economy faces growing pressure to decarbonise and protect export competitiveness. Over and above this, SAWEM (the South Africa Wholesale Electricity Market) is scheduled for official launch in April 2026 to liberalise power trading and support greater renewables integration.

In December 2025, Minister Ramokgopa approved Eskom’s revised unbundling strategy. However, the decision has attracted considerable criticism for not delivering the full independence originally envisaged.

What’s been approved?
The new structure creates an independent Transmission System Operator (TSO) as a state‑owned company sitting outside Eskom. This TSO will be responsible for system and market operations, central purchasing and non‑discriminatory grid access. Meanwhile, NTCSA (National Transmission Company South Africa), which achieved legal separation as an Eskom subsidiary in July 2024, will continue to own the transmission assets and roll out the Transmission Development Plan of roughly 14,000 km of high‑voltage lines. The full unbundling process is expected to be completed by 2030.

But how independent is “independent”?
Many experts have argued that what has been approved is not the unbundling envisioned by the Presidency in 2019, nor the structure outlined in the original Eskom roadmap, nor the model required by the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act. The core concern is that a TSO without assets cannot raise capital at reasonable cost, cannot build the 14,000 km of new transmission that South Africa requires, and cannot fully guarantee system adequacy or equal access for all market participants.

The original reform logic was clear: a competitive electricity market cannot function if the dominant generator also controls the grid. By keeping asset ownership within Eskom Holdings (via NTCSA) while the TSO operates without assets, critics argue that the structural conflicts of interest the reforms were meant to resolve are largely preserved.

Our CEO, Mark Tanton, having seen first‑hand the real and perceived issues around Eskom’s independence in grid access and allocation throughout the NECOM engagements, shares the concern that this structure risks severely undermining future independence.

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22/10/2025

South Africa's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan forecasts that wind power will rise from the current 8% to 24% of the energy mix by 2039. Projects like Red Cap Energy's Nuweveld Wind Farm, which is expected to come online in late 2028, will play a crucial part in bringing this vision to life. Our CEO, Mark Tanton, chatted to Engineering News about the impact of this development on the country's future energy security:

A mega-scale wind project, which includes a 100-km self-build transmission line to connect into the national grid, is steadily advancing towards construction, which is currently anticipated to begin in the middle of 2026. The 720 MW Nuweveld Wind Farm is sited in the upper Karoo region of the Wester...

15/10/2025

Red Cap Energy's latest development - the 720-megawatt Nuweveld Wind Farms - has secured grid capacity allocation, as well as registration with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). To connect the renewable energy projects to the grid, we will also be taking on the development of 100kms of transmission lines. Once constructed, this will be South Africa’s largest private wind farm to date.

As a result of this development, as well as several others in the area, the Western Cape has climbed to second place, after Limpopo, for megawatts registered by private companies, according to NERSA data up to mid-September 2025.

We're proud to be partnering with Anthem on the Nuweveld project as it moves forward. Together, we're playing our part in supplying South Africa with sustainable power over the next few years and ensuring the country's long-term energy security.

20/08/2025

Big things are happening at the Impofu Wind Farms!

The Red Cap team recently visited the site to view the progress on what will become South Africa’s largest privately developed renewable energy project.

With a capacity of 330MW, this wind farm - developed by Red Cap Energy and owned by Enel Green Power - is almost ready to be switched on. After nearly a decade of hard work, the finish line is finally in sight!

14/08/2025

People are at the heart of our approach to developing renewable energy projects across South Africa. As part of our commitment to supporting the landowners and communities we work with, we were one of the sponsors of the Boeretreat 2025 golf day, which took place in Heilbron, Free State. Our team was on the ground to share a laugh (and a drink) with the golfers - building the foundation of successful, long-term relationships.

16/07/2025

By redefining what it means to be a curator of the land, second-generation farmer Lion du Plessis is helping forge a new path – one where agriculture and renewable energy work hand in hand.

We’re proud to partner with landowners like Lion, whose deep community roots and long-term vision are powering real, lasting change in South Africa’s energy future.

Read more about Lion’s journey and how shared values are driving shared progress:

South African landowners, whose farms were once defined only by their agricultural yields and sweeping natural beauty, are now emerging as key players in a new kind of growth: renewable energy. No longer just stewards of the soil, they are stepping up as facilitators and beneficiaries of South Afric