As South Africa accelerates its transition to renewable energy—with an estimated R150-billion investment pipeline across solar PV and wind projects by 2030—NOA Group has announced financial close on its first wholly owned large-scale wind energy project, the 94.5 MW Wind Garden, located near Makhanda in the Eastern Cape.
This project marks the second NOA development to be financed by Standard Bank, following the recent financial close of the 140 MW, R4.9 billion Ishwati Emoyeni Wind Farm.
"This milestone underscores both our commitment to NOA and our shared commitment to advancing South Africa’s energy transition." said Nicholas Knott-Craig, Executive: Energy and Infrastructure Finance at Standard Bank.
“We are immensely proud to have partnered with NOA. This successful transaction demonstrates Standard Bank’s leadership in the renewable energy and aggregator space, and our unwavering commitment to supporting our clients.” said Vincenzia Leitch, Executive: Energy and Infrastructure Client Coverage at Standard Bank.
The project officially reached financial close, with construction commencing in early 2025. A formal ground-breaking ceremony held on 7 May 2025 brought together key partners and stakeholders to mark this significant milestone
“Wind Garden marks a major step in NOA Group’s expansion of its national footprint, designed to build a robust portfolio of renewable energy generation assets. Achieving these goals relies on strong financial partnerships, which are essential to unlocking private investment that supports both economic recovery and South Africa’s decarbonisation ambitions,” said Karel Cornelissen, CEO of NOA Group.
The facility will produce an estimated 287 GWh of clean power annually, offsetting over 304,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year. The project comprises 21 Vestas turbines—each with a capacity of 4.5 MW—standing 112 metres tall, with 75-metre blades.
The announcement comes as South Africa’s renewable energy market enters a phase of exponential growth. According to GreenCape’s Large Scale Renewable Energy Market Intelligence Report 2025, with 15 GW of renewable energy projects connected or under construction in 2024, the market is projected to more than double by 2030, reaching 32 GW—driven largely by private sector demand and corporate sustainability goals.
“Wind Garden is not only our first wholly owned project to reach financial close and enter construction, but it also underscores NOA’s role in a decentralised, private energy market—delivering cost-effective and sustainable power to commercial and industrial customers. This comes at a time when South Africa is shifting away from public procurement as the primary driver of large-scale renewable energy, with private off-taker agreements and independent power producers increasingly taking the lead,” added Cornelissen.
As an integrated energy company, NOA Group develops, constructs and operates large-scale wind, solar, and energy storage facilities. Through its grid-wheeled energy solutions, NOA enables customers in the commercial and industrial sectors to meet net-zero targets while reducing energy costs. The company aggregates energy from a growing fleet of renewable generation assets and supplies it to a diverse customer base—offering tailored solutions on tariffs, contract duration, and security commitments.
