Mulilo has confirmed that no turbines forming part of the Newcastle Wind Energy Facility are planned for Charlestown or Botha’s Pass, following questions raised over the wording used in a recent Newcastle Local Municipality media statement.
Responding to a media enquiry from Newcastillian News, the renewable energy company clarified that the wind energy facility is located approximately 15km northwest of Newcastle, in Ward 1 of the Newcastle Local Municipality, within the Amajuba District Municipality.
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This follows the Municipality’s media statement of 24 June 2026, which referred to the project as being situated in “Charlestown (Botha’s Pass)”. The wording prompted questions from readers, particularly as Charlestown and Botha’s Pass are distinct areas within the broader Newcastle municipal region.
Providing clarity on the matter, Mulilo stated:
“The wind energy facility is located approximately 15km northwest of Newcastle. Neither the Charlestown nor the Botha’s Pass areas fall within the core wind energy facility footprint, and no turbines are located in these areas.”
However, the company explained that Charlestown, Botha’s Pass and other surrounding communities may still be considered within the wider social development area linked to the project.
“Mulilo applies a 50km catchment radius for its social impact initiatives. As a result, these communities together with others will be considered for potential socio-economic development benefits throughout the project’s 20-year operational lifespan,” the company said.
The clarification is significant, as the Municipality’s earlier statement also referred to the area as being likely to serve as a key staging and transport route due to its location.
While Mulilo did not accuse the Municipality of misrepresenting the project, it said municipal media statements are issued independently through the Municipality’s own communication channels.
“The Municipality independently issues media statements through its own communication channels. To date, no media outlet has approached us for comment or information regarding the project. We therefore welcome this opportunity to engage and provide clarity,” Mulilo stated.
The company added that, given the technical nature of the project, misunderstandings can arise.
“Given the highly technical nature of the project, occasional inaccuracies or misunderstandings may arise. We will continue to work closely with the Municipality and Media to ensure information is accurate and aligned,” assured Mulilo.
According to the company, the Newcastle Wind Energy Facility is one of the first wind energy facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. The project has a capacity of 264MWDC, or 240MWAC, and will consist of 33 Envision Energy turbines, each rated at 8MW.
The energy generated at each turbine will feed into the Eskom grid through the Incandu Main Transmission Substation.
Mulilo also confirmed that a 20-year power purchase agreement is to be signed with a private off-taker.
Financial close is anticipated during August 2026, after which construction is expected to commence and run for approximately 24 months.
In terms of approvals, Mulilo said the project is currently in its financial close phase and is “well advanced”. The company confirmed that Environmental Authorisation was granted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on 4 October 2024 and is valid for five years.
Civil Aviation Authority approval was received on 20 February 2026, while SPLUMA approval was received on 17 June 2025. Mulilo also confirmed that a grid connection budget quotation has been received, with the project expected to connect to the Incandu Main Transmission Substation through an approximately 23km 132kV overhead line.
Public participation has also formed part of the questions around the project, with some residents asking whether affected communities, landowners and neighbouring landowners had been properly consulted.
In light of this, Mulilo said the project followed a full Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment process, as required under the 2014 EIA Regulations, under the authority of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
“The Public Participation Process was conducted in terms of Regulations 39-44 of the EIA Regulations,” Mulilo said.
However, with numerous residents stating that they had not seen any media notices, Mulilo said its public participation process included direct notification letters to the landowner, neighbouring landowners and key stakeholders; advertisements in the Newcastle Advertiser in both English and isiZulu; on-site notices; and formal notification to several organs of state.
These included the Amajuba District Municipality, Newcastle Local Municipality, the Newcastle Ward 1 Councillor, AMAFA/Heritage KZN, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, provincial and national departments, and the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights.
Mulilo further stated that two 30-day public comment periods were held during the scoping and EIA phases.
“All registered Interested and Affected Parties were allowed to review and comment on the Draft Scoping Report and Draft Environmental Impact Report. A Comments and Response Report addressing all issues raised was compiled and submitted to DFFE as part of the Final EIA Report,” the company said.
Further engagement is now expected as the project moves closer to financial close. Mulilo said engagement with the Municipality is ongoing while municipal permits and approvals are concluded, and that a programme of public engagement will follow through the Office of the Speaker.
With this in mind, the first engagement is planned for 17 July 2026.
“Stakeholder engagement is of utmost importance. Engagement with the municipality is ongoing as all municipal permits and approvals are being concluded. Public engagements will take place concurrently to ensure that communities remain informed,” Mulilo said.
The company also confirmed that BOZA International, representing the Balance of Plant contractor, will be the direct contact for job and procurement opportunities. Whereas, Veers Group has been appointed to represent Mulilo on stakeholder engagement.
Questions were also put to Mulilo regarding the Bernard Farm and Botha’s Pass community, after public participation records online showed that concerns had previously been raised around consultation, water, livestock security, environmental impact and local employment.
Mulilo said landowners and neighbouring landowners of the properties on which the wind energy facility is to be developed were directly notified.
It also confirmed that the Bernard Farm and Botha’s Pass community was directly engaged after concerns were raised in April 2025 regarding a related mining permit application.
According to Mulilo, the application related to aggregate extraction on Farm Byron No. 9448 to support construction of the wind energy facility, and was “not coal mining”.
The company said a meeting was held in Newcastle on 11 April 2025 with community representatives. During that meeting, Mulilo said it clarified the purpose and nature of the wind energy project, addressed concerns around livestock security, water sources and job creation, and committed to ongoing engagement and a Community Needs Assessment before construction begins.
“Further community engagements will be held from 17 July 2026 onwards, with plans to also engage recognised associations and forums,” Mulilo stated.
Employment expectations have also been raised by readers, particularly after the Municipality’s statement referred to the possibility of more than 1,000 jobs.
Mulilo has now provided additional context, stating that the figure should be understood more broadly.
“The Municipality’s reference to over 1,000 jobs likely encompasses direct, indirect, and induced employment across the broader wind energy development in the region, including supply chain activity, over the 20-year lifespan of the project,” the company said.
This means the figure should not be read simply as 1,000 direct construction-phase jobs.
In addition, Mulilo said more detail would be provided during public participation. It added that local recruitment would be managed by BOZA International on behalf of the Balance of Plant contractor, with the intention of prioritising residents of Ward 1 and communities most directly affected by the project before expanding to the rest of Newcastle.
“The recruitment and employment process ensures fairness and transparency,” Mulilo said, adding that the process would be introduced to local communities during the public meetings on 17 July.
Environmental safeguards formed another key part of Newcastillian News’ enquiry, given the project’s location within Newcastle’s hill-country landscape and the broader public interest in birds, bats, wetlands, grasslands, watercourses and surrounding wildlife.
Mulilo stated that a comprehensive suite of environmental and biodiversity specialist studies was completed as part of the EIA process.
“A comprehensive suite of environmental and biodiversity specialist studies was undertaken as part of the EIA process, as required by the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations,” the company said.
According to Mulilo, the DFFE Screening Tool identified 15 environmental sensitivity themes, with 12 specialist studies conducted.
These included pre-construction bird monitoring and avifaunal impact assessment, including flight activity surveys; pre-construction bat monitoring and impact assessment; aquatic and freshwater ecological assessment; terrestrial biodiversity assessment; visual and landscape impact assessment; noise impact assessment; heritage and palaeontology assessments; and a social and economic impact assessment.
The company said these environmental studies were not optional.
“These studies are not merely voluntary best practice, they are compulsory under South African environmental legislation,” Mulilo stated, adding that they are also required by international project finance lenders applying standards such as IFC Performance Standard 6 on biodiversity conservation.
“No project can proceed to Financial Close without demonstrating full compliance with these standards,” the company said.
Post-construction monitoring is also expected to form part of the project.
According to Mulilo, this will include operational bird and bat mortality monitoring for the lifespan of the wind energy facility, a carcass management and reporting programme, and the implementation of curtailment, acoustic deterrence, shutdown-on-demand or blade feathering protocols, depending on monitoring outcomes.
Other measures listed by the company include bird flight diverters and anti-collision devices on overhead power lines, noise monitoring during the first year of operations, ongoing ecological monitoring of Oribi and Mountain Reedbuck populations, rehabilitation, and alien invasive species management.
The importance of such monitoring is reflected in wider South African wind-energy research.
A February 2025 BirdLife South Africa report, based on operational bird monitoring reports from wind energy facilities in the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape, found that bird collisions with turbines remain a documented issue in the sector.
The report covered operational-phase monitoring between 2015 and 2023 and noted that, while renewable energy remains important, planning, monitoring and mitigation are central to reducing biodiversity risks.
This national context does not mean the Newcastle project will produce the same impacts.
Rather, it underscores why the final approved layout, specialist studies, powerline safeguards and post-construction monitoring commitments remain important matters of public interest.
While Mulilo’s response provides the clearest public explanation to date of the project’s location, status, employment process and environmental safeguards, the final approved turbine layout and specialist environmental documents remain central to understanding the project’s exact footprint.
This is particularly relevant because wind energy projects are not limited to turbines alone.
Their full footprint can include access roads, substations, overhead lines, laydown areas, operations infrastructure, borrow-pit or quarry-related activity, and construction traffic.
For affected residents and landowners, the next phase of public engagement will therefore be important in determining how clearly the project’s final footprint, safeguards, employment channels and community benefits are communicated.
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As always, Newcastillian News will continue following the matter, ensuring residents have access to clear, transparent information as public engagements proceed and further project documentation becomes available.
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