Cape Town Expands City-Owned Solar

July 06, 2025

Key Figures & Findings: The City of Cape Town is accelerating the buildout of its first city-owned solar PV plant in Atlantis, part of a R200-million (approximately USD 11 million) renewable energy initiative aimed at reducing reliance on Eskom and curbing carbon emissions. According to Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the plant—expected to be operational by year-end—symbolizes a pivotal shift in municipal energy independence. It will be integrated with an 8 MW battery storage system and contribute directly to the local grid. Energy MMC Xanthea Limberg confirmed the project aligns with Cape Town’s goal to achieve net-zero carbon operations across municipal buildings by 2030.

Statistics & Insights: Roughly 2,400 of 12,850 solar panels have been installed, with an initial capacity of 7 MW. Future scalability could push the facility to 10 MW, with renewable energy targeted to meet 35% of the city’s total demand by 2030.

Future Implications: If the Atlantis plant is fully scaled and complemented by projects like the 60 MW Paardevlei site, Cape Town could significantly insulate itself from one to two stages of Eskom loadshedding by 2026. These decentralized assets would enable the city to stabilize energy supply while expanding waste-to-energy and grid-trading programs.