WSP, a global multidisciplinary professional firm with a well-established South African office, is working in South Africa's renewable energy space – having been appointed by Seriti Green, a subsidiary of the Seriti mining group, as Owner’s Engineer to provide expert consulting services for the development of the Ummbila Emoyeni 900 MW hybrid renewable energy facility. As the largest hybrid renewable energy facility in the country, this project will play an important role in defining Mpumalanga's journey towards a sustainable energy future.
Ummbila Emoyeni will put Mpumalanga’s wind resource to work in a significant 900 MW hybrid energy project.
The Ummbila Emoyeni project, located in the Highveld region of Mpumalanga, has been designated as a Strategic Integrated Project by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. This underscores the project's importance in supporting South Africa's energy transition. The project received Environmental Authorisation from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and construction began in late 2023.
Reflecting on the start of the project, Mike Teke, Seriti Green Chairperson, said, “We are pleased and honoured to contribute to the country’s energy security with this project. It marks a significant milestone for the group and Seriti Green in particular, and represents the fulfilment of a commitment we made at the President’s Investment Conference. About half of the infrastructure will be owned and maintained by Seriti Green, and the other half will form part of Eskom's national grid. The Seriti Group and South Africa’s citizens will therefore benefit from the project.”
Innovation and sustainability
Despite Mpumalanga's reputation as a coal hub, extensive wind resource assessments conducted by Seriti over 36 months revealed the province's suitability for wind as an energy source. As well as aligning with global sustainability goals, the Ummbila Emoyeni project will support Seriti’s shift to renewable energy and ensure a continuous power supply for the group’s operations in the region.
According to Seriti, this mega project is expected to supply 75% of the energy needs of the group’s coal mining operations and mitigate its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, reducing its carbon footprint and advancing its transition to green energy. The project is expected to be fully commissioned by 2027, when it will provide electricity to Seriti’s coal mines and about 500 000 households in the area. This project also sets a new benchmark for public-private-partnerships.
Seriti Green’s CEO Peter Venn said, “The country’s alternative energy space is ripe for diversification, and it is a great opportunity for South African companies to be part of the implementation of the Just Energy Transition. We can no longer ignore the effects of climate change, and we must not delay in ensuring we reduce carbon emissions, create jobs and improve the lives of all the people who have borne the brunt of the country’s energy constraints. Seriti Green is committed to this endeavour.”
Partnership and expertise
Kelton Govender, Electrical Engineer for Energy at WSP in Africa, outlines the firm's role. “We were initially brought on board to assist with the development specifications for the new main transmission substation. Our involvement then expanded to overseeing the design and construction of the wind energy facility, which includes 25 turbines (155 MW) in its first phase – sufficient to power about 165 000 households a year – with the potential to scale up to 750 MW of wind generation.”
Govender says, “This is a fast-paced project, driven by the private sector in collaboration with Eskom. We are building the main transmission substation for the complete 900 MW, 750 MW of wind and 150 MW solar generation, aiming to complete the initial 155 MW facility by July 2026. The fast-tracked timeline is significantly shorter than is typical for projects of this scale.”
Community engagement and economic development
A significant aspect of the Ummbila Emoyeni project is its focus on community engagement and economic development. Seriti Green is actively involving local communities, from towns such as Bethal, Morgenzon and Davel, guiding them on tender applications and collaborations with subcontractors. Seriti has also put in place an economic development team to ensure that local businesses benefit from the project through job creation and skills transfer within the community.
“Seriti is committed to ensuring this project brings real benefits to the local communities,” Govender says. “This includes upskilling local residents in maintenance roles, which will be essential to the project's long-term sustainability.”
Although the project faced some challenges, as associated with large-scale construction, such as tight timelines and initial community resistance, WSP in Africa and Seriti Green have implemented extensive risk management strategies.
“These include extensive community outreach efforts to highlight that the project is not to replace coal but to enable the mine to continue producing coal and supply Eskom with this resource for a period of time. We have also had to mitigate risks from potential disruptions, such as those posed by local community unrest,” says Govender.
For the future
In addition to Ummbila Emoyeni, Seriti Green is working on the early development phase of the adjacent 1.3 GW Phefumula Emoyeni project. Together, these projects represent a significant capital investment, running into billions of rand, and will play an important role in South Africa’s energy landscape.
Through its involvement in the Ummbila Emoyeni project WSP continues to demonstrate its commitment to excellence, sustainability, and innovation. Delivering quality work on time and fostering strong community ties, WSP is helping to pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future for South Africa.
“Through projects like this we are advancing renewable energy solutions and supporting their contributions to socio-economic development, ensuring that the transition to a sustainable energy future benefits all stakeholders involved,” Govender concludes.
For more information visit: https://seritigreen.com/ and: www.wsp.com.
