Construction has begun on one of South Africa’s largest private renewable power projects — a 300 MW hybrid solar and battery energy storage plant — after securing long‑term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with key industry partners Sasol and Air Liquide.
The initiative, known as Naos‑1 Hybrid Solar and Battery Project, represents a major milestone for dispatchable renewable energy in South Africa’s private energy market. It will support both companies’ commitments to lower‑carbon power, enhance energy security, and reduce reliance on traditional fossil‑fuel electricity sources.
A New Era of Clean Power for Industry
Now under construction near Viljoenskroon in the Free State, the Naos‑1 facility is designed with a 435 MWp peak solar generation capacity backed by an 855 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). Together, this hybrid configuration will provide flexible, reliable renewable power — shifting energy production to when it’s most needed, even outside daylight hours.
The hybrid model helps address a common challenge in solar generation — intermittency — by storing excess sunshine‑generated energy for deployment during peak demand periods or grid instability. This dispatchable capability places Naos‑1 among the most advanced private renewable power projects on the continent.
Strategic Power Agreements with Sasol & Air Liquide
The project secured long‑term PPAs with Sasol and Air Liquide after the developer, SOLA Group, achieved financial close on the initiative. These agreements ensure guaranteed offtake of the plant’s output, providing energy price certainty and decarbonization support for the companies’ industrial operations.
Sasol — a major South African energy and chemicals company — and Air Liquide — a global industrial gas supplier — have both been active in sourcing renewable energy as part of broader decarbonization commitments. The Naos‑1 PPAs align with ongoing renewable energy procurement strategies that include previous solar and wind PPAs supplying low‑carbon electricity to industrial facilities.
Commercial Operation Target and Sector Impact
The project aims to enter commercial operation by the first half of 2028, following the completion of construction and system commissioning. Once operational, Naos‑1 will represent one of the largest hybrid privately contracted renewable energy plants in South Africa’s history.
This development comes at a time when the private sector globally — and in South Africa in particular — is increasingly entering long‑term renewable PPAs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stabilize energy costs, and improve corporate sustainability profiles. Hybrid solar + storage plants like Naos‑1 exemplify a growing shift toward clean, reliable, and competitive energy solutions for industrial users.
Driving the Energy Transition Forward
According to SOLA Group executives, reaching financial close on a project of this complexity underscores the maturity and confidence in South Africa’s private power market. It also supports broader national and corporate climate ambitions, as companies seek to diversify energy portfolios and scale up low‑carbon electricity sourcing.
For Sasol and Air Liquide, the Naos‑1 project provides not only cost‑competitive energy but also a pathway to significantly reduce carbon intensity at key operational sites, advancing corporate sustainability and climate commitments.
