Mulilo Commits $885m for Solar, Storage in SA

• Mulilo pledges ZAR 15bn for 716MW solar and battery projects at South Africa Investment Conference 2026—boosting dispatchable power and backing the just energy transition.

Mulilo, a South African renewables developer and independent power producer, said it will invest about ZAR 15 billion (USD 885 million) in new solar and battery storage projects, delivering 716 MW of capacity. The funding was announced at the South Africa Investment Conference 2026 in Johannesburg.

The plan includes three large-scale solar photovoltaic parks and a battery energy storage system (BESS) to provide grid export capacity and support demand for dispatchable electricity. Mulilo said the commitment reflects confidence in South Africa’s just energy transition and urged “right collaboration” among government, regulators and industry. The company is working on a “substantial” pipeline, targeting 1 GW of generation per year, with more than 30 GW in development.

How will Mulilo’s ZAR 15bn solar and BESS plan expand South Africa’s grid export?

• Adds new solar generation capacity (via three utility-scale PV parks) that can be scheduled into transmission plans, increasing the amount of power available to leave the local grid into the national system (and, where contracts allow, onward into regional power trading arrangements).
  
• Uses battery energy storage (BESS) to turn intermittent solar output into dispatchable electricity—effectively “time-shifting” generation to periods of higher demand, which improves the usability of exported/offtaked volumes rather than just nameplate capacity.
• Improves reliability of grid injections by providing fast ramping and short-duration reserve capability, helping the system operator sustain higher net exports without destabilizing frequency/voltage performance.
  
• Supports congestion management: by discharging/charging batteries near constrained periods, the BESS can reduce curtailment risk and keep more of the solar output available for dispatch, increasing the share that can be delivered for export.
  
• Strengthens peak-demand coverage: exporting more during evening and other peak windows reduces reliance on more volatile thermal dispatch and improves system balance—making it easier to accommodate additional net injections from renewables.
  
• Enables contracted wheeling/export delivery: dispatchable output from the solar-plus-storage configuration better matches off-taker schedules, which can translate into steadier “export” volumes through existing transmission access frameworks.
  
• Provides grid services that can unlock additional transmission capacity: ancillary services such as frequency support and capacity firming can help justify higher levels of renewable injection onto the grid, indirectly expanding the corridor for exports.
  
• Increases flexibility as more renewables come online: the “solar + firming” approach helps absorb variability from other projects, making it easier for the wider grid to accommodate higher net flows.
• Scales additional export-ready capacity over time: Mulilo’s larger pipeline (targeting ongoing builds) would progressively expand the volume of dispatchable renewable power available for export, not just at commissioning but as new plants reach commercial operation.
• Contributes to system confidence during the just energy transition: by pairing large PV with BESS, the projects can reduce the likelihood of under-delivery relative to contracted schedules—supporting longer-term grid export of renewable energy.