Sasol and Air Liquide switch on 97.5-MW South African solar

• Mainstream Renewable Power and partners inaugurated a 97.5-MW solar farm supplying Sasol and Air Liquide with contracted clean electricity in South Africa.

Mainstream Renewable Power and partners have inaugurated a 97.5-MW solar farm in South Africa that will deliver contracted clean power to chemicals and energy group Sasol and industrial-gas major Air Liquide. The project is a tangible step in decarbonizing energy-intensive industrial operations while shoring up grid reliability in a system challenged by generation shortfalls.

Structured under long-term offtake, the plant gives the two large buyers predictable pricing and real emissions reductions against Scope 2 targets. Technically, the site follows a mature template: high-efficiency modules—many bifacial—mounted on single-axis trackers to extend output into shoulder hours; string inverters for granular fault isolation; and a plant controller providing reactive power, low/high-voltage ride-through, and fast curtailment in line with South African grid codes.

For Sasol and Air Liquide, a dedicated renewable block reduces exposure to volatile wholesale prices and complements on-site efficiency investments. For the grid operator, each new megawatt of utility solar eases daytime shortages and lowers the need for diesel peakers. As market frameworks evolve, the project could be retrofitted with a two-to-four-hour battery to shift energy into the evening ramp and support frequency response.

Delivery emphasized local content and community benefits. Construction created jobs and supplier opportunities; environmental plans addressed dust, storm-water management, and biodiversity-friendly groundcover under arrays. Post-commissioning, unified SCADA and predictive maintenance—thermal imaging, IV-curve tracing, targeted cleaning—will underpin availability and lifetime performance.

The broader signal is structural: South Africa’s industrials are leaning into direct procurement of renewables to stabilize operations and hit climate targets. With a reliable engineering recipe and contracted demand, the 97.5-MW plant demonstrates how private offtake can add real capacity while accelerating the country’s transition.