WKN Windcurrent rebrands, prepares to play even larger role in SA’s renewable energy boom
WKN Windcurrent, part of major global renewable energy project development group PNE, has rebranded in South Africa as it prepares to help drive the ever-increasing boom in renewable energy projects in the country.
Germany-based parent company PNE AG has been a leading player in the renewable energy sector for over 30 years, with a global presence across 14 countries and four continents. WKN Windcurrent, which has been developing projects in South Africa since 2011, has changed its name to PNE South Africa to align with the global brand and reflect its commitment to uniting the PNE Group’s expertise.
The name change comes at an exciting time for energy in South Africa: A significant shift towards renewables is underway due to the Just Energy Transition and the government’s commitment to renewable energy.
At the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted initiatives such as the newly launched South African Renewable Energy Master plan, which aligns the localisation of renewable energy and hydrogen components with industrial development and job creation, as well as the expansion of the country’s electricity transmission infrastructure, and new wheeling regulations. The restructuring of Eskom into separate generation, transmission, and distribution entities is also expected to benefit the sector.
As a result of these developments, there is a great deal of positive movement, with major corporates in the global energy space entering South Africa, more renewable energy being added to the grid and major energy users rolling out tenders and/or procuring renewables via electricity traders and aggregators. Solar energy projects have been ramping up, especially with the private market opening up. However, the addition of new wind projects has become increasingly challenging over the last few years, particularly due to lack of grid capacity in many of the better wind resource areas, with the Global Wind Energy Council’s (GWEC) flagship Global Wind Report 2025 noting that new commissioning last year was disappointing in South Africa.
PNE South Africa is nevertheless optimistic about the opportunities for the ongoing expansion of the renewable energy sector, as well as its own growth, in this dynamic environment. Mike Mangnall, Managing Director of PNE South Africa, states that “The Company started in South Africa in 2011, the same year as Bid Window 1 of REIPPPP, and while a significant volume of wind and solar PV has been commissioned since then, the demand for additional renewable energy continues to soar. PNE South Africa plans to play a key role in this exciting market as it continues to grow its presence in the market.”
Having recently had success with two major projects, with the energy trader NOA – the 240 MW Khauta South PV and 110 MW Khauta West PV project in Free State, as well as a previous project sale of a 140 MW Eastern Cape wind project and another 60 MW Free State solar project, PNE South Africa is active in early stage wind and solar developments totalling over 5 GW, as well as two large-scale Green Hydrogen projects.
The Company expects its growth to accelerate as the local market develops. With differentiators such as best practice approaches to greenfielding, securing viable grid solutions and streamlined management of and the numerous permitting and approval processes, designed to derisk the project as much as possible upfront to offer a well-developed project offering to the investor, PNE South Africa also has the advantage of access to expert German and global engineering teams, and the scale and financial backing of a global group.
Mangnall adds: “While the Company has global scale and expertise, it retains the same experienced South African team, the same commitment to the Just Energy Transition, and the same high-quality projects and services.”
About PNE South Africa
PNE South Africa, a subsidiary of the global PNE Group, is a key player in the renewable energy sector, focusing on developing and implementing wind and solar projects. They are actively involved in the entire value chain, from project development to power generation and services, contributing to South Africa’s transition towards a sustainable energy future.
