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The Kruger National Park Renewable Energy Feasibility Study outlines an implementation pathway for the park to source up to 80% of electricity from renewable energy.

Wednesday, 3 June 2026 marked the formal handover of the Kruger National Park Renewable Energy Feasibility Study by Mr Andreas Peschke, the German Ambassador to South Africa to Chief Executive Officer of South African National Parks (SANParks).

The feasibility study, which is phase 1 as part of a broader programme of cooperation, focused on renewable energy supply and storage considerations for Kruger National Park and assessed a range of factors related to the park’s current and future electricity requirements. These included energy demand, supply resilience and broader planning considerations associated with long-term electricity use in the park. The feasibility study forms part of wider efforts to explore practical and cost-effective solutions to transition the National Parks electricity supply to predominantly renewable energy sources.  This particular scoping assessment achieved the ambitious target set by SANParks, which was 80% renewable energy penetration.  The technical assessment was conducted by Malachite Advisory, through the Technical Assistance Facility of Verdure Fund, backed by the KfW.  programme.

Speaking during the handover, Ms Hapiloe Sello, SANParks Chief Executive Officer highlighted that “Kruger National Park is South Africa’s premier tourism destination and one of the country’s most important conservation assets. Securing a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy future for the Park is essential to safeguarding its ecological integrity, visitor experience and long-term financial resilience. The completion of this technical feasibility assessment marks an important milestone in SANParks’ renewable energy transition journey.”

Handing over the Kruger National Park Renewable Energy Feasibility Study, Mr Andreas Peschke, the German Ambassador to South Africa, said “This project is a tangible example of the partnership between Germany and South Africa on climate, energy and conservation. Kruger National Park is an outstanding asset for South Africa and a globally significant natural heritage site. The study shows a way forward for conservation while reducing carbon emissions and strengthening energy security. Germany and KfW, stand ready to continue the excellent cooperation with SANParks”.

Representatives attending the handover included SANParks Chief Executive Officer, the German Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, executives, officials from SANParks, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, KfW, Verdure and Malachite Advisory. The programme included a formal handover of the Phase 1 report, presentations on the study process and findings, and discussions on matters arising from the work completed to date.

The conclusion of Phase 1 marks the completion of the study process and provides SANParks with information to take forward into phase 2, which is the procurement phase.  SANParks hopes to take the lessons learned and approach used to its other National Parks.

Stakeholder roles

• SANParks is the national conservation authority responsible for managing South Africa’s system of national parks, including Kruger National Park. In this project, SANParks is the institutional counterpart and recipient of the Phase 1 feasibility study, providing operational input and considering the study outcomes as part of its internal planning and decision-making processes.
• KfW is the German public development bank and is supporting the broader programme through its cooperation with Verdure. For this initiative, KfW has funded the technical assistance facility used to fund the feasibility study and has approved additional support for a possible next phase, should SANParks decide to proceed into the procurement phase.
• Verdure is a South African specialist debt funder, making finance available to small- to mid-scale renewable energy infrastructure and energy efficiency projects, a critical gap in the South African lending market. Verdure was established by KfW on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2018. In this project, Verdure has worked with SANParks to support and fund the Phase 1 feasibility.
• Malachite Advisory is the external consultant appointed to undertake the feasibility study. Its role has been to assess renewable energy supply and storage options for Kruger National Park and to deliver the Phase 1 study report.