Loxton to Gamma Substation and Overhead Powerlines, Western Cape and Northern Cape

PNE South Africa (Pty) Ltd. is proposing to develop a cluster of five Wind Energy Facilities (WEFs), which have already obtained environmental authorisation, each of up to 270 MW generation capacity – viz. the Taaibos North, Taaibos South, Soutrivier North, Soutrivier Central and Soutrivier South WEFs - on an extensive site situated in the Upper Karoo region between the town of Loxton and the Eskom Gamma Main Transmission Station (MTS) situated near Hutchinson and 40 km southeast of Victoria West in the Northern Cape Province. 

The ancillary infrastructure required to connect the proposed facilities to the Eskom grid network will comprise a 400 kV MTS, a 400 kV overhead line (OHL), and two 132kV OHLs. The ancillary infrastructure project area is situated between Loxton and the Gamma MTS. The proposed 400 kV OHL triggers Activity 9 of Listing Notice 2 of the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations, 2014 (EIA Regulations, 2014). However, the proposed electricity grid infrastructure (EGI – which includes the OHLs and MTS) are located entirely inside of the Central Strategic Transmission Corridor as gazetted in GN 113 (published in GG 41445 of 16 February 2018), and therefore requires a Basic Assessment process.

This process will consist of three distinct project components, as listed below:

• The new 400kV Loxton MTS, situated on the Taaibos North WEF site, and a 400kV OHL extending from the proposed Loxton MTS to the Gamma MTS. 
• A 132kV OHL from the Soutrivier Collector Substation, situated on the Soutrivier South WEF site, to the proposed 400kV Loxton MTS, situated on the Taaibos North WEF site.
• A 132kV OHL from the Taaibos Collector Substation, situated on the Taaibos North WEF site, to the proposed 400kV Loxton MTS, also situated on the Taaibos North WEF site. 

Grid connection infrastructure will comprise lattice or monopole electrical pylons as well as a service road (mostly jeep track) up to 4 m wide.

Two provinces are relevant to this application, namely Northern Cape and Western Cape. The project area is situated in the Ubuntu Local Municipality (LM) which forms part of the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality (DM) in the Northern Cape, as well as the Beaufort West Local Municipality (LM), which forms part of the Central Karroo District Municipality in the Western Cape. 

The Final Basic Assessment Report and associated documents are available:

Publication date:     20 February 2026

Please kindly submit comments as follows:
Contact person:     Caroline Evans

E-mail:                         c.evans@cesnet.co.za 
Subject Title:            Loxton to Gamma