Turbines on the Roggeveld Wind Farm.
Red Rocket on a mission to answer businesses’ call for more energy
Revolutionary Independent Power Producer (IPP), Red Rocket, is once again thrusting its engines, this time to launch its newest venture that aims to provide affordable, renewable electricity that can be purchased directly by businesses.
The impact of South Africa’s power crisis has been felt throughout our country, in every major sector of the economy, and is now firmly in the minds of citizens and organisations alike. From education to health, business and other sectors, the country is united in the same impassioned call — “bring in more energy”.
Against the backdrop of the shortage of such a vital resource, many business hours and revenue have been lost, and the need for innovative measures to alleviate the situation cannot be overstated. As an IPP on a mission to solve the country’s energy shortage puzzle, for the last decade Red Rocket has been committed to its bold mission of supplying the country with electricity from its renewable energy sources, thereby answering the call for added electricity generation capacity.
The latest project is the culmination of many years of operating in the South African electricity sector, initially as Building Energy’s Africa and Middle East expansion, and since 2020 as Red Rocket, spearheaded by its CEO Matteo Brambilla.
With this operation expected to be in full swing from 2026, South African businesses can look forward to extra generation capacity, and the ability to buy renewable electricity directly from generating facilities.
Kathu Solar PV Facility.
Brambilla said: “With the regulatory framework evolving rapidly, we are trying to stay close to the market and find innovative ways to meet the demand for electricity. From this perspective, this offering aims to find willing customers to purchase renewable energy from us at a competitive price.”
Red Rocket has established itself as a major contributor in the country and continent’s renewable energy industry, going from strength to strength in providing power to thousands of households and businesses in the country and on the rest of the continent. In 2021/2022, the company more than doubled the megawatts it supplies the national grid to an impressive 242MW through its projects, with another 373MW of wind projects currently under construction and a further 1 337MW of wind and solar projects moving towards completion in the next year.
Currently, Kathu Solar 81 MWp PV Facility and Tororo Solar North 10MWp Solar Plant, the company’s solar power projects, generate a combined capacity of approximately 190GWh per year. Since operation commenced in 2014, Kathu Solar PV Facility produced 1 559GWh of solar energy using polycrystalline mono facial photo-voltaic modules with a single axis hydraulic tracking system. The facility is situated near Kathu in the Northern Cape. Tororo Solar North 10MWp Solar Plant, situated in Eastern Uganda, has produced 97.21GWh of energy since operation commenced in September 2017.
Roggeveld Wind Farm is the company’s wind project between the Western Cape and Northern Cape. It is located in proximity to the towns of Laingsburg, Matjiesfontein and Sutherland, and generates about 613GWh per year, which meets the electricity needs of about 49 200 households every year. Red Rocket also owns and fully operates a hydroelectric power plant, Kruisvallei Hydro, in the Free State.
The current phase in the company’s growth is the construction of a renewable energy facility of up to 2 000MW from which businesses can purchase electricity, and have the flexibility to choose the amount of power required to meet their business needs. The electricity on offer to businesses from 2026 is expected to come from wind and solar facilities constructed specifically for this purpose.
Operating in the renewable energy space, Red Rocket is firmly rooted in the proactive implementation of its sustainability values, and constantly puts great consideration into the impact footprint of its operations. Numerous initiatives including the UN Sustainable Development Goals underpin its mission, and ensure that it approaches its projects in a manner that leaves communities empowered, always guided by a set of principles that set its sustainability benchmarks. All its projects are designed, developed and operated in compliance with Equator Principles, International Finance Corporation Performance Standards and Good International Industry practices.
Head of Sustainable Investments at Red Rocket, Maggie Logan, said: “At Red Rocket, we firmly believe that sustainable investing is not only the right thing to do but also an essential component of long-term value creation.
“We recognise that our investment decisions have far-reaching implications for the environment, society, and the overall wellbeing of our stakeholders.”
Charging ahead with its philosophy, the company is on a steady growth path in its ambitious plan to harness the power of nature’s technologies. Now, with a 196-strong team, the mission is not only to go bigger and better in terms of the size and magnitude of each project, but in the promise to build a better future for all.
For more information about how businesses can buy their share of 2 000MW of affordable, renewable electricity, email [email protected] or visit www.redrocket.energy
Terms and conditions apply.