Mulilo, a leading South African renewable energy developer backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Norfund, has officially reached financial close on the Beaufort West Solar PV facility.
This milestone represents one of South Africa’s largest utility-scale solar projects to date and a major win for the Western Cape’s energy infrastructure.
Project Breakdown: Scale and Impact
Located near Beaufort West, the facility is a massive undertaking designed to feed directly into the national grid via the Droërivier main transmission substation.
- Capacity: 380MW (DC) installed capacity with a contracted export capacity of 250MW (AC).
- Energy Yield: Expected to generate approximately 818GWh of clean electricity annually.
- Environmental Benefit: Estimated to avoid 860,000 tonnes of $CO_{2}$ emissions every year.
- Household Equivalence: Capable of powering roughly 345,000 South African households.
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A Record-Breaking Year for Mulilo
The Beaufort West project is Mulilo’s fourth major financial close in 2026 alone, following a rapid-fire series of successes across the country:
- Orkney Solar PV (North West Province)
- Middlepunt Solar PV (Free State): Notable for delivering some of the lowest-cost power in the REIPPPP framework.
- Mercury BESS (Free State): A flagship battery energy storage system.
With this latest addition, Mulilo has already surpassed its 2026 goal of deploying 1GW of renewable energy annually.
The company’s total portfolio spanning both operational and construction phases now exceeds 2GW.
Powering the Private Sector
In a shift toward private energy wheeling, the power from Beaufort West will be supplied to commercial and industrial customers.
This is facilitated through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NOA, an energy aggregator and trader.
“Mulilo is a partner with a proven ability to deliver high-quality renewable projects,” said Karel Cornelissen, Group CEO of NOA. “This transaction strengthens our portfolio, which is approaching 1.5GW, and helps us provide long-term energy certainty to businesses.”
Economic and Strategic Backing
The project’s success is a result of heavy institutional backing and collaboration with major financial players, including Absa, Standard Bank, Investec, and Nedbank.
Mulilo CEO Jan Fourie emphasised that this first project in the Western Cape is a testament to the company’s commitment to South Africa’s energy transition, addressing immediate power constraints while building a sustainable grid for the future.
Mulilo Energy Overview
Mulilo shareholders
Mulilo is mainly owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, alongside partners such as Norfund and local BEE investors.
Mulilo funding
The company finances projects through a mix of equity from shareholders and large-scale project finance tied to South Africa’s renewable energy auctions (REIPPPP).
Mulilo solar
Mulilo develops utility-scale solar plants in South Africa and has recently closed major projects under REIPPPP Bid Window 7, including a 337MW solar project supplying low-cost grid power.
Mulilo share price
Mulilo is not publicly listed, so it has no share price or stock market valuation.
