Cape Town launches IPP tender process to end load shedding in municipality

Speaking at the Solar Power Africa conference in Cape Town on Wednesday, 16 February, City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that the municipality has opened its first round of tenders for the purchase of electricity from independent power producers.

"Bringing IPPs onto the grid, through the tendering process, is a crucial step in ending load shedding over time. The economic effects of a reliable power supply in Cape Town will mean more profitable businesses and more job opportunities," he said.

Over the coming months, the City of Cape Town will procure up to 300MW of renewable energy. The tender documents are now available on the city's website, Hill-Lewis said at the conference.

"The city will be considering proposals from IPPs for projects between 5­–20MW that will allow us to access an affordable and reliable electricity supply, especially those that are able to help us reduce our reliance on Eskom during peak times of use. We will consider proposals from a range of projects, including generation-only projects, generation-plus-storage projects, and storage-only projects," he said.