- Women-led consultancy Blue Crane Environmental takes top honours at the 2025 EAPASA Conference, setting a new benchmark for integrity and excellence in renewable-energy EIAs.
When Blue Crane Environmental was founded in June 2023, few could have predicted just how quickly this boutique women-owned consultancy would rise to become one of South Africa’s most trusted names in renewable-energy environmental assessment. Barely two years later, the company has earned the respect of both clients and peers — and last night, that recognition became official.
At the 2025 Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) Regional Conference in Secunda, Blue Crane Environmental walked away with two of the evening’s most coveted honours: Leading Women-Owned Consultant in South Africa and Best Conducted EIA in the SADC Region.
The latter recognised the team’s outstanding work on the Carissa Wind Energy Facility, a 1 GW development near Beaufort West that has been hailed as one of the country’s flagship renewable-energy projects. The assessment, led by Senior EAP Roschel Naidoo, impressed adjudicators for its technical depth, clarity, and seamless coordination of specialist inputs across a 40 000-hectare landscape. Naidoo accepted the award on behalf of the project team, while co-founder Lisa de Lange accepted the national women-owned consultancy award on behalf of herself and fellow director Marélie Botha, who jointly head the firm.
Industry observers were quick to note that such recognition is rare for a consultancy that opened its doors just two years ago. Blue Crane has become a benchmark for ethical and forward-thinking practice in the renewables space. Their attention to detail and personal client engagement set a new standard for what responsible consulting should look like in South Africa’s energy transition.
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Behind this success is a team of ten remarkable women whose collective drive and professionalism have shaped the company’s reputation. Each brings unique expertise, from project management and stakeholder engagement to specialist environmental disciplines, yet all share a common purpose: to deliver quality work with integrity and care. It’s a team that, by every measure, punches well above its weight.
Co-founders Botha and de Lange often describe Blue Crane’s growth as a reflection of this team’s passion. Their shared philosophy, work with honesty, treat clients as partners, and never lose sight of the bigger environmental picture, has helped the firm build long-term relationships with developers across the renewable-energy sector.
With these two awards, Blue Crane Environmental has firmly positioned itself at the forefront of environmental consulting, not just as a women-led success story, but as proof that collaboration, authenticity and technical excellence remain the foundation of meaningful impact.
As South Africa’s renewable-energy ambitions expand, Blue Crane’s blend of rigour, warmth and human connection ensures that this vibrant young firm will continue to soar.
For enquiries or a quote, please send an email to: Lisa de Lange – lisa@bcrane.co.za or Marélie Botha – marelie@bcrane.co.za
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
