Cape Town, South Africa -Serengeti Energy is proud to announce that the Boston Hydro Project has achieved Commercial Operations (COD) on 17 October 2025.
Following 23 months of construction, this ZAR 400 million (USD 23 million) hydropower facility is the company’s fourth hydropower project in South Africa and brings to ten the number of operating solar and hydropower plants in our African renewable energy fleet.
The project benefitted from the ongoing liberalization of the South African power sector by entering into an off-take agreement with Etana Energy, a power trader. The power purchase agreement is based on a fully commercial willing buyer/willing seller arrangement and is not subject to any regulatory tariff constraints. This enabled the power to on-sold to Growthpoint Properties as part of Growthpoint’s E-CO2 initiative which provides secure and affordable, zero emission power to its properties and its tenants.
Over its lifetime, Boston Hydro is expected to avoid approximately 1.5 million tons of CO₂ emissions while generating around 30 GWh of clean electricity per year — enough to power 7,500 South African homes.
Despite weather-related challenges the project team successfully completed all powerhouse, civil, and electromechanical works, including turbine installation and architectural finishes on budget. A series of rigorous commissioning and performance tests culminated in successful grid synchronization in August 2025 and subsequent Grid Code compliance certification by Eskom, confirming the plant’s readiness for operation.
Anton-Louis Olivier, CEO of Serengeti Energy, commented:
“Boston Hydro is a key milestone that reflects our team’s hydropower and commercial expertise and demonstrates our ability to deliver a technically complex project and within an innovative offtake and financing structure. This project strengthens our footprint in South Africa and reinforces our ability to deliver assets that offer lasting value and energy security.”
Serengeti Energy’s Head of Engineering, Christie Burger added:
“This achievement is a testament to the dedication, innovation and collaborative spirit of our construction and engineering teams. From overcoming challenging site conditions to completing detailed commissioning, every step was executed with precision to ensure a reliable and efficient power plant.”
As its eighth hydro plant, Boston Hydro builds on Serengeti Energy’s extensive experience in hydropower development, applying lessons learned
from previous plants to maximize availability, improve efficiency, minimize maintenance and safeguard long-term plant performance.
