NEWS

The Carissa Wind Energy Facility, located near Beaufort West in the Western Cape, has achieved a major milestone by securing it’s Environmental Authorisation (EA).

With a capacity of up to 1,000 MW and comprised of 154 wind turbines the Carissa Wind Energy Facility will help power Coega Green Ammonia in Nelson Mandela Bay and is now officially the largest permitted wind energy facility in South Africa, marking a transformative step in the country’s renewable energy transition and the production of green hydrogen.

The successful permitting of the Carissa Wind Energy Facility is the result of a seamless partnership between Hive Hydrogen (the Coega Green Ammonia project sponsor which is the committed off-taker), AMDA Developments (the project developer), and Blue Crane Environmental, the independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) responsible for leading the rigorous Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.

Blue Crane Environmental’ s team of experts, renowned for their work in renewable energy assessments across South Africa, ensured a transparent, thorough, and efficient permitting process. Their robust public participation strategy addressed stakeholder concerns, while detailed specialist reports mitigated environmental impacts to acceptable standards. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) endorsed the process, granting Environmental Approval within a streamlined timeframe under the project’s Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP) status.

Thulani Gcabashe, Chairman of Hive Hydrogen South Africa remarked “We are delighted that our Carissa Wind Project has achieved this major milestone.  We have been constantly impressed by the professionalism, thoroughness and efficiency of the Environmental Impact Assessment conducted by Blue Crane and managed by AMDA. The quality of the studies is outstanding and the specialists engaged were exceptional. This concludes the EIA work on all of the Hive Hydrogen’s 3300MW of renewable energy assets and the R105bn Coega Green Ammonia project can now commence with its Front End Engineering Design. The project remains on track to start construction in early 2027 with a commissioning date in December 2029. Congratulations to all involved”.

The Carissa Wind Energy Facility will play a pivotal role in South Africa’s emerging green hydrogen economy. Its clean energy will supply Hive Hydrogen’s pioneering green ammonia production facility in the Port of Ngqura (Coega), Eastern Cape. This initiative positions South Africa as a key global player in sustainable energy innovation.