JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed surface gold mining company DRDGOLD has, through its wholly owned Ergo subsidiary, disposed of its 100% interest in Stellar Energy Solutions to NOA Group Assets for R147.5-million cash.

Headed by CEO Karel Cornelissen, NOA is a South African renewable energy independent power producer, aggregator and energy trader, with a trading licence from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

DRDGOLD commenced the development of a 150 MWh solar plant in Polokwane, Limpopo, in collaboration with the Neethling family in 2023. The Stellar project is shovel-ready with most licences and approvals having been obtained, including the budget quote from Eskom.

Stellar represents DRDGOLD’s second initiative in the solar energy sector.

During the 2025 financial year, the company successfully commissioned a 60 MWh solar plant and accompanying 160 MWh battery energy storage system at its Ergo gold recovery operation, near Brakpan in South Africa's Gauteng province.

This facility provides 12 hours of off-grid power daily to Ergo, meeting half the operation’s total power requirements. Surplus power fed into the national grid is credited by Eskom against Ergo’s consumption.

In addition to realising cost savings, DRDGOLD is earning credits from Eskom for this supply and will pursue carbon credits in due course. Abatement of about 182 000 t of CO2-equivalent is expected.

Concurrent with the disposal is DRDGOLD’s electricity supply agreement with NOA to provide 76 GWh a year of renewable energy, with supply starting in January 2028. This agreement advances DRDGOLD’s objective of reducing its carbon footprint and aligns with the anticipated increased production profile under DRDGOLD’s Vision 2028 growth strategy.

The disposal enables DRDGOLD to realise value from the Stellar project while securing a long-term renewable energy supply agreement that supports the company’s operational requirements and sustainability objectives.

DRDGOLD’s Vision 2028 aims to lift consolidated throughput to three-million tonnes a month and yearly production of 6 t of gold.

Under Vision 2028, the company, headed by CEO Niël Pretorius, is investing about R8-billion over three years in five large projects to extend their operating lives by up to two decades, as well as to significantly increase throughput.

At its Far West Gold Recoveries project, Phase 2 of the expansion continued throughout this year, including detailed engineering for the DP2 plant and a proposed carbon-in-leach circuit. The plant is being expanded to reach a throughput of 1.2-million tonnes a month, sourcing tailings from the Driefontein 3 and Libanon tailings dams.

At Ergo, DRDGOLD is preparing to resume deposition at the Daggafontein tailings storage facility (TSF) and developing the Withok TSF to systematically replace the Brakpan TSF, with the latter operating at a reduced rate of 1.65-million tonnes a month.

Mining Weekly can report that 2026 marks NOA’s fourth year of operation in the private power sector, where the company is growing a pipeline of projects across multiple provinces. At its projects under construction, there have been initiatives by NOA and its engineering, procurement and construction partners to develop local communities and economies by employing local workers, enabling small businesses, improving local infrastructure, and supporting environmental education and school initiatives.