Delays hit SA emergency power plan as outages persist

South Africa’s plans to bring 2 000 megawatts of emergency power online last year have encountered repeated delays and none of the 11 private generation projects the government selected are operational, despite assurances that it’s doing all it can to tackle crippling electricity shortages.

Agreements to advance with two projects that were awarded contracts in 2021 and will have a total of 203 megawatts of generating capacity had been signed with Oya Energy and EDF Renewables’s Umoyilanga Energy, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said in a statement late Wednesday. Financial close is expected by the end of the year and the projects are expect to be online from 2025.

While Scatec ASA signed power purchase agreements in June for three winning projects that are set to add 150 megawatts to the system from November, the other six remain in limbo. They include Karpowership’s plans to supply three floating generators, which have been delayed by lawsuits and environmental challenges.

Electricity shortages in Africa’s most industrialised nation on the continent have intensified since the start of last year, curbing output and economic growth, with rolling blackouts instituted on a regular basis.