South Africa’s inaugural offshore wind venture, the 800‑megawatt Gagasi project off Richards Bay, has hit a pause. The environmental impact study commissioned by the developers was halted on Thursday while the consortium works on new technical specifications.
Project background and delay
Launched in 2022, the Gagasi project is a joint venture between Sweden’s Hexicon and South Africa’s Genesis Eco‑Energy Developments, operating under the name GenesisHexicon. Acer (Africa) Environmental Consultants, the firm tasked with the impact assessment, confirmed that the environmental authorisation application was withdrawn last year. The withdrawal was not due to environmental concerns but to redesign the turbines from floating to anchored units, according to Acer’s managing director Dieter Heinsohn.
Hexicon has not responded to requests for comment, while Genesis Eco‑Energy said it will issue a project update next month.
World Bank’s offshore wind outlook for South Africa
In a parallel development, the World Bank released a study outlining South Africa’s offshore wind development framework. The report estimates the country’s coastline could support roughly 95 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity, primarily using floating turbine technology.
The study projects that large‑scale offshore wind could generate about $6.7 billion in wages for the domestic economy by 2050 and help cut emissions from coal‑fired power plants. Over the next 25 years, the Bank estimates offshore wind could reduce South Africa’s electricity‑generation emissions by 530 million tonnes of CO₂, advancing the continent’s climate goals and positioning the nation as a leader in clean‑energy deployment.
Implications for the region
While the Gagasi project’s delay underscores the technical challenges of moving from floating to anchored turbine designs, the World Bank’s findings highlight the broader opportunity for South Africa to diversify its energy mix and create jobs. The country’s reliance on coal makes the potential emissions reductions especially significant.
Stakeholders will be watching the upcoming project update from Genesis Eco‑Energy for clues on whether the redesign will proceed and how quickly the environmental study can be resumed.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
