- First pooled renewable electricity wheeling project successfully implemented across multiple properties in Cape Town’s municipal grid.
- Renewable electricity from the Boston Hydroelectric Plant now powers five Growthpoint properties including the fully renewable 36 Hans Strijdom building.
- Growthpoint plans to expand the model to more than 30 properties across retail, logistics, office, healthcare and student accommodation sectors
Etana Energy, Growthpoint Properties and the City of Cape Town have successfully implemented the first pooled renewable electricity wheeling project across multiple properties within Cape Town’s municipal electricity network.
The milestone builds on the City’s first renewable electricity wheeling pilot launched in 2023 between Growthpoint and Etana Energy and marks the next phase in the evolution of municipal wheeling in South Africa.
The project enables Etana Energy to wheel renewable electricity generated by Eskom connected power producers to a portfolio of Growthpoint properties connected to the City of Cape Town grid. The first pooled energy allocation was completed in April 2026.
Pooled wheeling allows electricity generated at one or more remote renewable energy plants to be allocated across multiple customer sites on a grid. Instead of matching generation and consumption on a building by building basis, the model balances supply and demand across an entire property portfolio, creating a more flexible and scalable system for electricity allocation and settlement.
Renewable electricity for the pilot is supplied from the Boston Hydroelectric Plant near Clarens. The plant is co-owned by Serengeti Energy and Growthpoint and is managed by Serengeti Energy, while Etana Energy acts as the exclusive off-taker and licensed electricity trader.
The electricity is wheeled through the Eskom transmission network into Cape Town’s municipal grid where it is allocated across participating Growthpoint properties.
The current arrangement supplies renewable electricity to five Growthpoint buildings including the recently refurbished 36 Hans Strijdom building on the Foreshore. The office development, occupied by Ninety One, now sources 100% of its grid electricity through the pooled renewable allocation model.
Additional participating properties include Constantia Village Mall, Centennial Place in Century City, Montclare Place in Claremont and Newlands on Main.
Growthpoint plans to expand the wheeled renewable electricity programme to more than 30 Cape Town properties over the coming months, covering retail, logistics, industrial, office, healthcare and student accommodation assets.
Etana Energy manages the trading and settlement of electricity charges across the participating portfolio, serving as a single point of accountability for customers and the municipality. The model is expected to simplify billing processes while improving access to competitively priced renewable electricity.
The initiative follows more than 18 months of collaboration between Etana Energy, Growthpoint and the City of Cape Town, with support from Eskom Distribution Western Cape.
The Boston Hydroelectric Plant is expected to be the first of several renewable generation facilities supplying the Etana pooled wheeling network in Cape Town. Future expansion plans include supplying more than 25 additional Growthpoint properties as well as the V&A Waterfront.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
