Cape Town, South Africa – As the world accelerates toward clean energy
futures, Phelan Green Group reaffirms that true sustainability extends beyond megawatts –
it’s about lives uplifted and futures reshaped.
Today, the company honours the extraordinary public health achievement of its long-
standing community partner, the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR), as the
organisation prepares to conclude its operations in De Aar, Northern Cape in March 2026.
Through its subsidiary Solar Capital, Phelan Green Group invested R15 million over the
past decade to support FARR’s ground-breaking work – a partnership that transformed
maternal and child health outcomes in one of South Africa’s most vulnerable communities.
“At Phelan Green Group, our projects are not just about generating clean power; they are
about generating social value,” said Blair Phelan, Director of Development at Phelan
Green Group. “FARR’s remarkable success is testament to the kind of meaningful, enduring
impact that responsible infrastructure investment can deliver.”
In 2002, De Aar recorded one of the highest global rates of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) –
a staggering 11.9%. Thanks to funding support from Phelan Green Group’s subsidiary Solar
Capital and FARR’s evidence-based interventions, early childhood health indicators have
dramatically improved. Recent reports from the Department of Health confirmed
significant improvements in birth outcomes among babies born to mothers
participating in FARR’s Healthy Mother Healthy Baby Programme. At the most recent
Baby Clinic, just two mild cases of FASD were diagnosed among high-risk births – a
powerful testament to this partnership’s life-changing impact.
Among the key outcomes achieved through this partnership:
• Increased birth weights
• Dramatic reductions in infant mortality rates
• A generational shift in maternal health awareness and community practice
As FARR prepares to close its De Aar office and conclude its national operations in 2026,
Phelan Green Group celebrates this milestone as a powerful demonstration of how private
sector investment in renewable energy can deliver deep-rooted social benefits.
“This isn’t charity – it’s good business. It’s about investing in the communities that host our
projects and showing government and the public how strategic partnerships can move the
needle on national challenges,” added Maxine Preiss, Head of Corporate
Communications at Phelan Green Group.
Phelan Green Group remains committed to continuing this model of integrated social
investment within its renewable energy portfolio – driving progress not just in carbon
reduction, but in public health, education, and socio-economic upliftment
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across South Africa. We look forward to building on this legacy through more transformative
projects, such as our upcoming Phelan e-Fuels South Africa Project located within the
Saldanha Bay Municipality, which will create over 2,500 jobs and deliver significant local
economic impact.