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Seven international-led consortia prequalify to bid for $1bn inaugural private grid build programme

South Africa has named seven pre-qualified bidders from an initial list of 17 respondents to the prequalification phase of the country’s inaugural independent transmission project (ITP) programme, a request for proposals (RfP) for which will be launched in the second half of 2026. The companies have been prequalified to bid to build 1 164-km of powerlines and associated substation infrastructure across seven preselected corridors, and the projects are expected to have a combined investment value of about $1-billion.
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Two Western Cape wind farms secure offtake, reach financial close

South African energy trader Etana Energy has reported that it will purchase all of the renewable electricity generated by two new wind farms being built by global renewables group Acciona Energía for the first 20 years of operation. The Zen (100 MW) and Bergrivier (94 MW) windfarms, with a combined export capacity of 190 MW, are located between Gouda and Saron in the Western Cape and are expected to produce about 580 GWh/y of renewable electricity.
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Eskom awards contract to develop a Virtual Wheeling platform amid regulatory tensions

Eskom has quietly taken an important step in the rollout of its long-awaited Virtual Wheeling product, awarding a significant contract in the past few weeks to Johannesburg-based Enerweb to build a software platform that will automate and scale the utility’s new wheeling model.

The appointment represents the most tangible move yet toward operationalising the Virtual Wheeling initiative, viewed as central to unlocking wheeling of electricity from independent power producers (IPPs) to smaller and low-voltage customers connected either to the Eskom distribution network or embedded within the distribution networks of municipalities in good standing with Eskom.

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Nersa appoints three new regulators

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has appointed Willibrod Majola and Nomfundo Maseti as full-time regulator members for five years following Cabinet’s approval.

Nersa has also appointed Ria Govender as part-time regulator members for four years.

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New Eskom unbundling strategy approved

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the approval of a revised unbundling plan for Eskom and the potentially far-reaching implications for both the State-owned company and the framework governing the transition to a more competitive market structure,
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Company advances flagship renewables build

Licensed electricity trader Discovery Green, the energy platform of the Discovery Group, continues to advance two of South Africa’s largest private-sector renewable-energy developments, marking a significant milestone in the scaling of utility-level clean power for corporate offtakers. The projects, which achieved financial close this year, include the 150 MW Overberg Wind Farm, in the Western Cape, and the 300 MW Tournee Solar Park, in Mpumalanga. They represent the first phase of a broader procurement programme intended to strengthen private-sector participation in creating new generation capacity, thereby supporting national decarbonisation objectives.
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Transmission projects target 37 GW capacity by 2030

Aligned with the 2024 Transmission Development Plan (TDP), State-owned power utility Eskom subsidiary National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) currently has 75 projects – at various stages of development from procurement to execution that will enable about 37 GW of new generation connection capacity by 2030, says NTCSA CEO Monde Bala. These projects include the construction of 3 000 km of transmission lines, of which 455 km have already been completed, along with about 28 000 MVA of transformer capacity, 5 800 MVA of which has been commissioned.
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S Africa targets strategic, efficient builds for new transmission lines

For the national grid to facilitate increased renewable power generation, the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) has affirmed that about 14 000 km of new transmission lines are required over the next decade, with DEE Deputy-Minister Samantha Graham-Maré asserting that transmission remains a critical issue for the country. Traditionally, State-owned power utility Eskom has set itself yearly targets of about 200 km of new transmission lines, and this remains part of its planning, with this year’s target being about 174 km.
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Karreebosch a shift towards new model 

As South Africa accelerates the shift towards a more liberalised electricity market, private-sector-driven renewable-energy projects are emerging as critical instruments for meeting near-term capacity needs, states renewables company G7 Renewable Energies CEO Dr Kilian Hagemann. Karreebosch, owned by turnkey energy solutions company Cennergi Holdings and G7 Renewable Energies, is located between the towns of Sutherland in the Northern Cape and Matjiesfontein in the Western Cape.
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Bankable partnerships anchor renewables momentum

With the renewables sector moving beyond proof-of-concept into industrial-scale deployment, South Africa’s leading financiers are playing a pivotal role in translating policy ambition into bankable infrastructure. For Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), success in scaling up renewable-energy projects hinges on collaboration, disciplined risk allocation and a growing ecosystem of private offtake models reshaping the country’s energy market. South Africa’s renewable-energy landscape continues to evolve as projects under public procurement and private contracting frameworks advance to financial close, says Standard Bank CIB power head Rentia van Tonder. Standard Bank has emerged as one of the leading financiers enabling this shift, combining traditional project-finance rigour with innovative structures tailored to a more liberalised energy environment.
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