The City of Cape Town, which is in the process of procuring up to 200 MW of renewable energy from independent power producers (IPPs), expects to initiate a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) programme in 2023. It is also working on the design of a so-called ‘dispatchable IPP programme’ that could deliver first power in 2026 as part of a broader strategy to improve security of supply and mitigate against intensifying load-shedding.