Norway-based renewable energy developer Mainstream Renewable Power’s 50MW commercial and industrial (C&I) Ilikwa PV Facility in South Africa’s Free State province has reached commercial operation.
Located near Parys, the solar PV project is jointly owned by Mainstream, which holds a 70% stake, and Investec, which owns the remaining 30% and provided project funding.
Try Premium for just $1
- Full premium access for the first month at only $1
- Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
- Cancel anytime during the trial period
Premium Benefits
- Expert industry analysis and interviews
- Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
- Exclusive event discounts
Or get the full Premium subscription right away
Or continue reading this article for free
Ilikwa will supply multiple customers through flexible, shorter-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), according to the project owners. The contracting structure is intended to expand access to private renewable generation while supporting energy security and corporate decarbonisation.
“This commercial operation milestone reflects what Mainstream has consistently delivered in South Africa over some 15 years—developing and delivering high-quality renewable energy projects that create lasting value for our customers, partners and communities,” said Julie Berg, group CEO of Mainstream.
Construction of Ilikwa began in October 2024 and was completed over a 21-month period. More than 2,600 people were employed at the project’s peak construction period.
The project also prioritised local procurement and enterprise development during construction, with local businesses participating across the project supply chain.
The project’s commercial operation comes as South Africa’s private electricity market continues to expand. According to the Global Solar Council (GSC), South Africa’s cumulative solar PV capacity has surpassed 10GW, with the country adding around 1.6GW of new capacity in 2025 alone.
Utility-scale and commercial and industrial (C&I) projects, alongside rapid growth in private rooftop solar, have driven the expansion. The country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) programme continues to support utility-scale deployment.
Additionally, South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), launched last year, targets around 28.7GW of additional solar PV capacity by 2039, with no new coal power allocations.
PCG Global connects 9.57MW C&I solar project to Indonesian grid
In other C&I news, Singapore-headquartered clean energy platform PCG Global has completed grid connection of a 9.57MW C&I distributed solar PV project in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The project is the company’s first greenfield C&I distributed solar project in Indonesia and is expected to generate around 13 million kWh of electricity annually.
The company carried out on-site visual and electroluminescence inspections, alongside grid-connection testing, to identify defects including cell mismatch and micro-cracks.
The rooftop system also uses non-penetrative adhesive mounting on trapezoidal roofs to reduce leakage risks, while a decentralised inverter layout reduces DC cable lengths and associated energy losses.
PCG Global said the project also incorporates an intelligent operations and maintenance system using smart meters, sensors and communications equipment for real-time monitoring. Meteorological data is used to optimise module cleaning, while anti-reverse-flow and reverse-power protection can remotely shut down inverters when reverse current is detected.
An AI-enabled video surveillance platform has also been deployed for intrusion detection and fire alerts, supporting the project’s ongoing operation and maintenance.
PCG is focused on expanding into overseas renewable energy markets, including Oceania, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The company has around 1.8GW of renewable energy projects under development globally.
In July 2026, PCG closed its Pre-Series A financing round, led by GenZero, Temasek’s wholly owned decarbonisation investment platform.
