Eskom's grid expansion is far behind target
Eskom installed 293 km of transmission lines in 2024/25. It is almost four times more than the 74 km built in the previous financial year. But even this improved pace is far below what is needed to expand South Africa’s electricity grid and connect new power projects.
The National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) has a plan to build 14 500 km of transmission lines by 2034 to “unlock grid capacity for new generation”. To stay on track, the NTCSA, recently unbundled from Eskom to manage the country’s transmission network, will need to install about 1 500 km a year. That is far higher than current rates: over the past 16 years, Eskom has added only 6 700 km. With nine years left to reach the 2034 goal, the pace will need to accelerate sharply.
In the short term, the utility aims to add 2 600 km over the next three years, focusing on the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape provinces, as well as Mpumalanga. South Africa’s grid currently spans 33 367 km.
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