- Eskom seeks EPC and two years of operations and maintenance services for a utility scale solar PV plant.
- Project forms part of the utility’s Just Energy Transition and coal repurposing strategy.
- Tender submissions close on 30 January 2026.
South Africa’s state owned power utility, Eskom, has issued a tender for the development of a minimum 17 MW AC solar photovoltaic plant at its Duvha Power Station in Mpumalanga, marking another step in South Africa’s transition away from coal based power generation.
The tender covers the full scope of engineering, procurement and construction services, including design, construction management, start up, commissioning and performance testing. In addition, the successful bidder will be required to provide operator training and two years of operations and maintenance support.
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Duvha Power Station, located in Emalahleni, has been in operation since the early 1980s and is one of Eskom’s largest coal fired facilities. The solar project will be developed on 35.2 hectares of environmentally authorised land within the power station site. While the plant will have a minimum installed capacity of 17 MW AC, the maximum evacuation capacity has been set at 30 MW AC.
According to Eskom, the integration of solar generation at Duvha is intended to alleviate system constraints and contribute to the decarbonisation of operations at the site. The project aligns with the utility’s broader Just Energy Transition strategy, which focuses on repurposing existing coal power stations with renewable energy infrastructure.
Tender documents are available through the national eTenders portal and submissions must be made electronically via Eskom’s website. The tender closes on 30 January at 10:00 local South African time, with evaluations scheduled to take place in February.
Eskom has confirmed that the decommissioning of coal power plants strategy will be decoupled from the country’s Just Energy Transition (JET) Plan. The power station lifecycles and the JET plan will be implemented separately, and timelines will not be synchronised.
This will not delay the development of alternative energy generation at existing coal power plants in a repowering programme using renewables, gas, green hydrogen, cleaner coal and other technologies. The plan also includes repurposing of existing power stations’ existing infrastructure like buildings, possible farmlands, mining and local community integration, reskill and upskill training, and manufacturing like brick making. The idea is to uphold the best interest of the direct and extended employment value chain taking lessons learnt from Komati Coal Power Station. Read more
Mr Rivoningo Mnisi, Eskom’s Group Executive for Renewables has confirmed that 5GW of repowering projects are currently under development at six coal fired power with construction set to begin on 2GW by 2026. Most of the projects are being developed under a public-private partnership model and will be implemented in more than one phase. Mnisi explained that funding will be frontloaded for alternative power generation and repurposing citing lessons learnt from Komatipoort. The Duvha project has been added to planned projects at Komati, Grootvlei, Arnot, Camden, Hendrina and Kriel power stations.
Eskom’s repowering plan leading up to 2030. Author provided
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Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Solis has an extensive distribution network across Africa. For enquiries on the African continent contact Solis Sales: sales@ginlong.com
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