Independent grid and market operator ‘required’ to attract much-needed generation …

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has drawn a direct link between securing the investment required to address South Africa’s growth-sapping electricity supply gaps – including some R100-billion to further develop the grid in ways to unlock what will be mostly private generation investment ­– and the creation of an Independent Transmission System and Market Operator (ITSMO). Speaking during a webinar on Thursday, De Ruyter stressed that private investment in generation “requires independence in transmission and market operation” to overcome concerns of potential bias in areas such as grid and market access, dispatch instructions and procurement decisions.