South Africa - is Eskom’s death spiral taking the republic with it?

State-owned utility Eskom is in crisis, as is the republic itself, both riven by a legacy of corruption and mismanagement. The problems of the electric power sector are driving a wider political crisis and this in turn has weakened the government’s ability to respond.

Nevertheless, South Africa remains the most important market for large scale private sector power projects on the continent. African Energy has followed developments in detail.

Medupi power station, editorial-only, istock

South Africa: Regulator reconsiders Eskom’s Richards Bay gas power plant

Issue 480 - 16 March 2023

Plans by Eskom to build a 3GW CCGT plant at Richards Bay may yet go ahead, following reports that regulator Nersa had reversed its previous opposition to the scheme. A Nersa spokesman told African Energy the energy regulator had yet to make a final decision on the matter.

South Africa - is Eskom’s death spiral taking the republic with it?

South Africa: Regulator reconsiders Eskom’s Richards Bay gas power plant

South Africa: Karpowership projects blocked again, this time by government

South Africa: President Ramaphosa reshuffles cabinet and sets up Electricity Ministry

South Africa’s National Treasury adopts debt from a hopelessly compromised Eskom

South Africa: Rooftop solar has ‘10GW potential’ – blockages can be overcome

Ramaphosa mulls new electricity ministry in South Africa’s ‘national state of disaster’

Protracted fix for Eskom’s Kusile coal power plant

Ramaphosa’s ANC re-election may do little to help South Africa in crisis

South Africa: Construction starts on Eskom battery energy storage project

South Africa: PPAs signed for 18 solar power plants, but wind misses out

South Africa: Eskom chief executive resigns

South Africa: Eskom approves grid connection for Elikhulu solar PV plant

South African government takes on Eskom’s debts in latest rescue plan for power utility

South Africa: Komati coal-fired plant closed down, repurposing follows

Germany extends extra Just Energy Transition funds to South Africa

Questions remain unanswered after Eskom board overhauled amid energy crisis

South Africa: Could Eskom crisis threaten the ANC’s grip on power?

Power infrastructure in South Africa, eSwatini and Lesotho – June 2022

South Africa: Oil and gas exploration – revised March 2022

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