South Africa is facing delays in bringing more than 427MW of planned electricity generation capacity online, with construction challenges, grid connections and project-specific commissioning issues affecting five projects during the 2025/26 financial year.
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa disclosed the figures in response to Parliamentary questions from MK Party MP Delisile Ntshaba.
The delayed projects include the 84MW Wolf Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape, the 120MW Doornhoek PV plant in the North West and the 128MW Oya Energy Hybrid Facility in the Western Cape.
The 75MW Mulilo Total Hydra Storage facility in the Northern Cape and part of the Umoyilanga Energy Avondale facility, with 19.94MW linked to the Eastern and Northern Cape, were also affected.
Despite the delays, 12 new generation projects with a combined capacity of 1,230MW reached commercial operation during the same financial year.
Ramokgopa said 17 projects, representing 1,657MW, had originally been scheduled to reach commercial operation, with most of the completed projects coming from Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
Among those that came online were wind farms in the Eastern and Northern Cape, as well as solar photovoltaic projects in the Western Cape, Free State and Northern Cape.
Umoyilanga Energy, which forms part of the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, also reached partial commercial operation in December 2025.
The project combines wind, solar and battery storage. Its Dassiesridge component achieved provisional commercial operation with a net dependable capacity of 55.06MW, while the remaining 19.94MW from the Avondale facility is expected to be fully commissioned by December 2026.
Transmission Network Remains A Major Challenge
The delays come as South Africa works to expand its transmission network to accommodate growing amounts of renewable generation.
The country’s 2025–2034 Transmission Development Plan calls for about 14,500km of additional transmission lines over the period. Recent industry reporting has identified transmission capacity as a key constraint on the country’s electricity expansion.
Eskom’s transmission business added 270.8km of new high-voltage lines during 2025/26, compared with a target of 423km.
Eskom has previously pointed to contractor capacity constraints, as well as delays involving landowners and communities, as factors affecting transmission infrastructure projects.
The transmission challenge is significant because new power projects can generate electricity, but that power still needs sufficient grid capacity to move it to areas where it is required.
As South Africa continues to add wind, solar and battery projects, expanding the transmission network will therefore remain an important part of getting new generation capacity fully connected to the national grid.
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