South Africa’s Electricity Minister announces two hydrogen power projects totalling 274MW will be added to RMIPPPP

The objective of the RMIPPPP is to fill the current short-term supply gap, alleviate the current electricity supply constraints and reduce the extensive utilisation of diesel-based peaking electrical generators by adding 2000MW baseload power to the grid. The Determination for the RMIPPPP was gazetted on the 7th of July 2020 but since then only three solar/battery hybrid projects totalling 150MW. Read more

In addition, he said preparations are underway to release an additional Bid Window. “We’re looking at the additional Big Wwindows in June and July of 2023 and this will include a Big Window number seven for wind and solar PV, ” said Ramokgopa.

He also reaffirmed government’s commitment to the decarbonisation agenda and between these Bid Windows, he said Eskom is looking at between 5000 MW. “We need to make sure the prospects of these projects are located geographically in the areas that have got access to grid capacity, said Ramokgopa.

He reminded the journalists that the major shortcomings of the previous Bid Window were about 3 000 MW, which remains unallocated because of poor or no access to create capacity. “So we’ll make sure that there is no misstep there.” In addition, he said a further Bid Window involves four battery storages of 1 200 MW and a gas project of 3 000 MW.

Meanwhile, the request for proposals (RFP) for the load shedding reduction programme to the tune of 750 MW in the cross border procurement programme of 1 000 MW, will together procure an excess of 10 000 MW.

About the winter plan, he said the demand has been ramped but the team at Eskom is working around the clock to lower the stages of power cuts.

He also emphasised that the power entity is far from the grid collapse.

Author: Bryan Groenendaal

SAnews.gov.za