From sawmill to solar: Securing 1,500 Jobs through Energy Stability

Introduction

Bracken Timbers is one of South Africa’s leading structural timber manufacturers, supplying timber products across the country from its sawmill in Greytown.

Every day, thousands of logs move through the mill before becoming structural timber for homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure projects.

It is a large, energy-intensive operation. And when more than 1,500 jobs and a busy production schedule depend on electricity, reliable power is not simply a nice-to-have. It is what keeps the entire operation moving.

But for Bracken Timbers, that reliability was becoming increasingly difficult to count on.

The Challenge

Load shedding. Rising electricity prices. An unpredictable grid.

Every time the power went out, production slowed. Delivery schedules became harder to maintain, customer commitments came under pressure, and the disruption extended far beyond the factory floor - to suppliers, customers and the company’s 1,500-strong workforce.

The team explored generating electricity using its own wood waste, including sawdust and bark. While it was technically possible, building, operating and maintaining an energy plant would require specialist expertise outside its core business.

Bracken Timbers knew what it needed: a reliable energy solution and an experienced partner to make it happen.

The Solution

Candi Solar designed and financed a 1.5 MWp solar installation through its Performance-Linked Instalment Sale (PLIS) model.

In simple terms, Bracken Timbers did not need to make a heavy upfront investment or take on the operational risk of managing a solar plant.

Instead, the business pays for the energy the system generates, while Candi takes responsibility for its performance, maintenance and long-term optimisation.

That means the Bracken Timbers team can remain focused on what it does best: producing quality structural timber - while its solar system gets on with producing reliable, more affordable energy.

The Impact

Production Keeps Moving

The solar system was integrated with Bracken Timbers’ existing backup generators, helping the sawmill continue operating for full nine-hour shifts during load shedding.

So, while grid interruptions continue to bring production to a halt for many manufacturers, Bracken Timbers can keep its mill running, stay on schedule and continue fulfilling customer orders.

Most importantly, this increased energy stability helps protect consistent employment for more than 1,500 people.

Lower electricity costs

In 2025 alone, the system delivered:

• R622,159 in electricity savings
• 1.4 GWh of clean energy generated
• 1,800 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided

The result is not only a more resilient operation, but a more cost-efficient and sustainable one too.

One successful phase deserves another

The performance of the first phase gave Bracken Timbers the confidence to go further.

Following its success, the company approved an additional 540 kWp expansion. Once complete, the expanded system is expected to increase annual electricity savings to approximately R1.1 million, while covering even more of the sawmill’s daytime energy needs.

Bracken Timbers initially turned to solar to protect its operations from an unreliable grid. Today, it is expanding because the system has delivered.

And that is the goal behind every Candi partnership: build confidence through performance, then continue creating value throughout the life of the solar asset.

“The partnership has delivered exactly what was promised. As the solar system operates over time, the financial and operational benefits will only continue to grow.”

George Johnson, Director, Sawmill & Charcoal, Bracken Timbers