Grid and construction problems delay 427MW of new power in South Africa

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28-09-2026
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Electricity and energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said that roughly 427MW of new power-generating capacity set to connect to the national grid was delayed in the 2025/26 financial year.

Responding to Parliamentary questions from MK MP Delisile Ntshaba, the minister said the delays were primarily due to construction-related challenges, grid connections, and project-specific commissioning.

“Five planned projects, representing approximately 427MW, were scheduled to achieve commercial operation during the 2025/26 financial year but were subsequently delayed,” Ramokgopa said.

These included the Wolf Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape, with a planned capacity of 84MW, and the Doornhoek PV plant in the North West, with a planned capacity of 120MW.

The Oya Energy Hybrid Facility in the Western Cape was also delayed. When it reaches commercial operation, it is anticipated to add 128MW of generating capacity.

The remaining two plants affected were the 75MW Mulilo Total Hydra Storage facility in the Northern Cape and the 19.94MW Umoyilanga Energy Avondale facility in the Eastern and Northern Cape.

Ramokgopa also shared details of the projects that reached commercial operation during the 2025/26 financial year.

“A total of 17 projects with an installed capacity of 1,657MW were planned. Of these, 12 new generation projects, totalling 1,230MW, achieved commercial operation,” he said.

He explained that most of these projects originated from Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

Ramokgopa said one project in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), Umoyilanga Energy, reached commercial operation in December 2025.

“Umoyilanga Energy comprises two components, namely a Wind and Battery Energy Storage System at Dassiesridge, as well as a solar PV and Battery Energy Storage System at Avondale,” he said.

“The Dassiesridge facility achieved provisional commercial operation with a Net Dependable Capacity of 55.06MW.”

He added that the remaining 19.94MW associated with the Avondale facility is expected to be fully commissioned by 5 December 2026.

Eskom transmission grid crisis

It should be noted that the minister’s data excluded private generation that does not feed electricity into the grid.

One of the reasons for the delayed commercial operation of REIPPPP and RMIPPPP projects is a lack of capacity on Eskom’s transmission grid.

South Africa must expand its transmission grid by 14,494km by the end of the 2034 financial year, as per the Transmission Development Plan (TDP) for 2025 to 2034.

This will enable the country to realise the full benefit of REIPPPP and RMIPPPP projects. With a lack of transmission grid capacity, electricity from these projects can’t be used in other parts of the country.

According to Eskom’s results for the year ended 31 March 2026, it installed 270.8km of new transmission lines during the 2026 financial year, down from 292.6km in 2025.

While it exceeded its target of building 286km of new transmission lines in the 2025 financial year, it missed its 2026 target by a large margin.

The 270.8km of transmission lines Eskom installed in 2026 were 152.2km shorter than its target of 423km for the year.

Eskom provided reasons for its inability to hit its targets in 2026 while presenting its Business Performance report for the third quarter of 2026 before Parliament in March 2026.

“Delivery progress has been affected by contractor capacity constraints, and landowner and community-related delays,” it said.

The state power utility is gradually ramping up its transmission line targets. It targeted 286km during the 2025 financial year and beat the target by just over 6km.

However, its target for the 2027 financial year can be considered ambitious considering its performance in the previous financial year.

Eskom is targeting 550km in 2027, 1,662km in 2028, and 2,122km in 2029. Its targets for 2030 to 2034 range from 1,058km to 2,182km.

The table below lists all the REIPPPP and RMIPPPP projects that reached commercial operation in 2025/26, as well as those that were delayed.