Eskom has issued a tender to secure the first batch of 26 large – scale transformers to be delivered in the next 36 months.
The tender is expected to close towards the end of July 2024.
Segomoco Scheppers, Eskom’s Managing Director for Transmission, said “Our aim is to connect 53 Gigawatts (GW) of new generation capacity over the next ten years and to achieve this, innovative project delivery models and partnerships are being explored and implemented to drive accelerated delivery of the Transmission Development Plan (TDP), including a priority programme for strategic projects.”
Scheppers said this is a fraction of what is planned by the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA), which has designed a framework agreement to procure the 101 large scale transformers by the of 2028 financial year.
If successful, this plan will secure 28GW to the grid by 2028.
Efforts to procure transformers includes a list of 34 transformers that form part of two priority programmes to accelerate the delivery of the transmission infrastructure.
Scheppers said firstly, 25 projects at existing substations will provide additional transformers to unlock 13 000MW of new generation capacity. Secondly, 22 expedited transmission projects will unlock 24 000MW of grid connection capacity.
In total, this amounts to 47 projects to unlock 37 GW of grid connection capacity between 2025 and 2033.