- South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa invites comments on the Draft Electricity Transmission Infrastructure Regulations for the country’s Independent Transmission Programme (ITP).
- The ITP paves the way for a partially decentralised transmission sector that has been traditionally owned and run by the state.
- The programme aims to have 3222MW new transmission capacity in place by August 2029.
- A Request for Qualification will be issued in July while a Request for Proposals will be issued in November.
Ramokgopa kick-started the programme last week by issuing a Ministerial Determination under Section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act on 28th March 2025 to procure a total of 1164km of 400kV transmission infrastructure covering three provinces. Read more
“Our renewable energy assets are not fully exploited because of the constraints on the transmission side. The Eskom balance sheet and the sovereign balance sheet is not sufficient to carry the kind of investments that are required in this space. In terms of the transmission development plan…we will need modernise and expand transmission by about 14 000km and for us to be able to do this, we need about R440 billion. The State is not able to provide that kind of support. This is why we are introducing the independent transmission programme,” Ramokgopa said.
Yesterday the progressive minister tabled draft regulations for the ITP inviting public comments as part of the process. The draft regulations outline terms guiding the transmission service agreements between prospective independent transmission service providers and the off-taker, the National Transmission Company South Africa, which includes proposed cost recovery criteria for buyer and seller.
Ramokgopa also seeks comment on whether a deviation from the current Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) or a separate TDP must be implemented and whether cross-border transmission capacity be established.
Ramokgopa further seeks comment on the establishment of fully integrated ‘energy infrastructure projects’ arguing that it would be advantageous to the Government for the required new generation capacity, electricity transmission infrastructure and other interconnected or related infrastructure and other matters contemplated in section 34(12) of the Act to be combined into an energy infrastructure project.
Link to the full request for comments on the Draft Electricity Transmission Infrastructure Regulations HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
