Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said in a media briefing about the implementation of South Africa’s Energy Action Plan on Tuesday, 23 January that the government was making “tremendous progress in relation to solutions on the energy transmissions side.” He noted that the challenges on the transmissions side were as great as the challenges on the generation side, as these would undermine the ability to maintain the integrity of the system.
Transmission constraints
Minister Ramokgopa stressed the importance of integrating new generation capacities, particularly in the realm of renewable energy. He pointed out a critical issue: the existence of 2000 MW of unallocated capacity due to current constraints in the transmission infrastructure. This bottleneck, he noted, affects the implementation of projects like Bid Window 7, which was announced last year but faces hurdles without enhanced transmission capacity.
Government Initiatives and international engagement
The minister said that the President recently tasked him with securing financing for transmission projects. In pursuit of this goal, Ramokgopa reported using the Davos platform to engage with potential financiers, highlighting keen interest from the private sector in investing in transmission infrastructure.
Establishing a transmission office
Looking forward, the government is exploring the best architectural and legal frameworks to tap into transmission opportunities. A key initiative includes the establishment of a transmission office, akin to the Independent Power Producer (IPP) office, to streamline and expedite transmission projects.
Proactive measures to prevent a transmission crisis
Acknowledging the challenges faced in the generation sector, Minister Ramokgopa emphasized the government's proactive approach to prevent similar crises in transmission. Supporting Eskom’s Transmission Development Plan is a part of this strategy. The plan advocates for a substantial expansion of the network, aiming to extend it by 14,000 km over the next decade.
