Information and communications technology infrastructure company Teraco has started construction of its 120 MW utility-scale solar PV power plant in the Free State, which is expected to come online in late 2026. Teraco will own the 120 MW solar PV plant and wheel the renewable energy to its data centres, with the plan to create its own sustainable energy source to power the next generation of client cloud and AI computing applications.
Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramakgopa has confirmed that an independent technical assessment of the R6.1-billion billing dispute between State-owned utility Eskom and the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ’s) wholly-owned electricity utility City Power will be carried out over the next 14 days. Upon conclusion of the technical assessment on November 25, a final decision will be reached. Both parties have agreed to abide by the findings in full, whatever the outcome.
Government has confirmed that the Independent Power Producer Office (IPPO), which has overseen the public procurement of more than 7 300 MW of operational renewable-energy capacity since 2011, will oversee a pilot programme to procure South Africa’s first independent transmission projects (ITPs). Speaking at Res4Africa’s yearly conference in South Africa, the National Treasury’s Jeffrey Quvane said that the decision had been made in light of the capabilities and frameworks that had been created at the IPPO to successfully carry out public procurement.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has published State-owned utility Eskom’s proposed Retail Tariff Plan for public consultation, detailing changes to its tariff charges and rates. The primary goal is to ensure customers only pay for the costs they incur, Eskom says in a statement.
Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses Eskom’s opposition to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s decision to grant four new electricity trading licences; whether Eskom’s opposition to the granting of the licences came as a surpsie and what will happen next
Power utility Eskom has announced plans to interrupt power supply to the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) at certain pre-determined times of day from next month, citing City Power’s failure to pay R4.9-billion in arrears owed to Eskom.
The CoJ, in response, says Eskom has overbilled City Power and asked Eskom to retract its public notice within five days and “engage in genuine negotiations to resolve the matters constructively”.
With the South African government’s Integrated Resource Plan encouraging renewable-energy integration, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming a critical component in the country’s energy mix, supporting grid-tied and off-grid installations, says energy solutions specialists I-G3N technical manager Taole Tsoehlisi. The adoption of BESS in the country is growing, driven by the need to stabilise the grid and provide backup power during loadshedding.
State-owned electricity utility Eskom is leading the large-scale commercial rollout of battery energy storage system (BESS) technology in South Africa, aiming to demonstrate its feasibility and benefits, with Phase 1 currently under way and Phase 2 in development, says Eskom generation group executive Bheki Nxumalo. Currently, the Eskom BESS rollout programme is the largest to be implemented in South Africa and entails 1 440 MWh distributed BESS with 60 MW solar PV.
State-owned electricity utility Eskom, with the South African government, has made significant progress in supporting battery energy storage systems (BESS), which is pivotal in ensuring energy security, load shifting and grid stabilisation at utility scale in South Africa, says independent power producer (IPP) ENGIE South Africa flexible generation senior business developer Shahil Juggernath. Eskom is a key early adopter, with over 300 MW planned for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of its BESS implementation project. These large-scale utility batteries will be installed at strategic points across the grid.
Eskom has signed a R125-million grant agreement with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to support the development of the proposed Tubatse pumped storage system project, located in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in Limpopo. The 1.5 GW Tubatse project, which would be pursued as a public-private partnership, could comprise four 375 MW units and have a storage capacity of 21 GWh.
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