Brief
South Africa approves 9.6GW of battery and gas power to curb daytime surplus
The determination adds 4.6GW of battery storage and 5GW of gas‑fired capacity, aiming to absorb excess daytime generation.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced a new determination of 9.6 GW of capacity – 4.6 GW of battery storage and 5 GW of gas‑to‑power – to address a growing daytime electricity surplus on South Africa’s grid, techcentral.co.za reported.
The decision, made under section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act after consultation with regulator Nersa, is the first under the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Ramokgopa said the move brings forward battery storage that the IRP had planned to phase in only by 2035, noting that the country is currently losing more than 4 GW of generation during daylight hours.
According to the minister, the surplus stems from Eskom’s generation recovery and rapid private‑generation growth, which have left the system with curtailment – generators being ordered to switch off because the grid cannot absorb their power. Contracts with independent power producers are “take‑or‑pay”, meaning the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) must still settle payments for electricity that is not delivered.
Gav Hurford, acting general manager of NTCSA’s system operator, told the briefing that curtailment became a “large problem to manage” around April and peaked in winter 2026 with up to 3 000 MW curtailed in a single day. He warned that without intervention the issue could become a “significant problem”.
The new battery allocation is roughly nine times the 513 MW procured in the first battery‑storage bid window, which attracted R15.4 billion in investment. Ramokgopa estimated that the upcoming allocation could draw “upwards of R90 billion”. The batteries will charge from power that would otherwise be curtailed and discharge during evening peak periods, with sites selected by the system operator.
Ramokgopa framed the determination as necessary to “avert the possibility of market failure”, arguing that continued curtailment would raise financing costs for future private projects and increase the risk of project abandonment.
Key facts
- South Africa approved 9.6 GW of new capacity, split between 4.6 GW of battery storage and 5 GW of gas‑to‑power. (techcentral.co.za)
- The determination was made under section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act after consulting regulator Nersa. (techcentral.co.za)
- Curtailment has reached up to 3 000 MW in a single day during winter 2026, according to NTCSA acting GM Gav Hurford. (techcentral.co.za)
- The upcoming battery allocation is about nine times larger than the 513 MW awarded in the first battery‑storage bid window. (techcentral.co.za)
- Minister Ramokgopa estimated the new allocation could attract upwards of R90 billion in investment. (techcentral.co.za)
Sources
- [1] techcentral.co.za — originally reported as “The giant batteries coming to South Africa's grid”
