Tiny SA village where farmers ditched Eskom with 2,930kW clean energy

Key topics:Farmers built 2,930kW hydro plants, cutting reliance on EskomCookhouse grows as renewable hub with major wind farm nearbyGreat Fish River hydropower benefits from strong flow & high capacity.By Luis Monzon.A group of farmers in Cookhouse, in the Eastern Cape, built a series of hydroelectric projects with a total generation capacity of 2,930kW.The projects allowed the farmers to eliminate their reliance on Eskom and contributed to Cookhouse’s renewable energy growth, which included a long-running 138MW wind farm.Located on the Western bank of the Great Fish River, Cookhouse is a small village in the Blue Crane Route Municipality of the Eastern Cape.The village was an early colonial settlement. It lies between the towns of Cradock and Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and was part of the British Cape Colonies..Read more:.Eskom’s tariff shock hits middle-class households hardest.Farmer Frans Johannes van Aardt was the first European to settle in the area, establishing the farm Roodewaal in 1820.The town is said to have received its name when Frans’ wife Susanna provided soldiers and travellers with food from her cookhouse.In the 1870s, the town became a major Cape Railway junction after the rail route was extended. The railway crossed the Great Fish River at Cookhouse and eventually reached De Aar.Close to the village is a stone cairn commemorating the arrival of Thomas Pringle, often referred to as the father of South African English poetry, who settled in the area in 1820.Pringle would eventually leave the region for the Cape, where he ran several newspapers, before returning to the United Kingdom and becoming a renowned abolitionist.He published African Sketches and wrote poetry about South Africa before returning to England, where he eventually died. His remains were returned and laid to rest in the Baviaans Valley.The cairn described how Pringle’s party stopped by Cookhouse and received well-needed rest and restock for two days before continuing on their journey.Perhaps the most infamous event that the town is known for is the Slagtersnek Rebellion, where a group of Boers rebelled against the British government that controlled the region.The incident led to an early skirmish between Boer commandos and British forces and led to the hanging of five Afrikaner rebels..Read more:.Eskom’s revenue surge sparks debate over soaring electricity costs.Afrikaner leaders would later credit the event as a major catalyst for the Great Trek and as fuel for wider resistance against the British.2,930kW of hydroelectric capacity installed on the Great Fish River.Cookhouse had a population of nearly 6,000 individuals during the 2011 census, and remained a quiet village in modern times, rarely making headlines.About 7km east of the town is the Cookhouse Wind Farm, which generates approximately 341,000mWh of clean energy every year and is connected to Eskom’s national power grid.It remains one of the country’s largest wind farms, and comprises 66 S88 Suzlon wind turbines situated on a high ridge to the east of the Great Fish River.In October 2025, the South African Irrigation Institute (SABI) reported that two farmers in Cookhouse invested in hydroelectric power to build a reliable supply for themselves and their farms.Farmers Michael Vermaak and Chris Landman built a combined 1,730kW generation capacity in their hydroelectric projects as of 2025.Vermaak, who owned the lion’s share of the hydroelectric plant, planned to add 1,200kW of capacity by the end of that year, bringing the total to 2,930kW.“Hydropower is widely recognised as one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy,” said SABI in a journal article.“With low maintenance and minimal environmental impact, hydropower remains a farmer-friendly, sustainable energy choice.”The farmers were able to use hydropower to keep their pumps, dairy packhouses, and irrigation systems running completely off Eskom’s grid.At the time, Vermaak had installed three turbines at his facility on the Great Fish River, each with a different capacity — 280kW, 450kW, and 500kW.Vermaak utilised the head between the canal and the river below for his generation capacity, while Landman operated a 500kW turbine set nearby.I&F Engineering aided farmers in installations across the Fish River, including Vermaak and Landman and a farmer further up the river at the town of Cradock.The firm opted to install turbines from Ossberger, a German manufacturer known for robust and efficient designs. These turbines can run for more than 60 years with minimal maintenance..Read more:.Eskom wants to cut power to owing municipalities: households may pay the price.Farmers on the Great Fish River have benefited from the river’s strong, constant flow, which has increased the capacity factor for installations to around 90% throughout the year.This is significantly more than solar or wind in South Africa, SABI explained, as seasonal changes can alter generation capacity.Hydroelectric turbines from Ossberger.Cookhouse, Eastern Cape.This article was first published by MyBroadband and is republished with permission..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. 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Tiny SA village where farmers ditched Eskom with 2,930kW clean energy

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