“Screw you, we're doing it ourselves” says the CoCT
Thats the response the city has given Eskom as it prepares to construct its first ever Solar plant.
The interest in solar energy is also expected to increase due to the government's decision to increase electricity prices. To ease this burden on WC citizens, the City of Cape Town has taken its first steps towards energy sustainability with the launch of construction on its first-ever solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Atlantis.
This milestone not only marks the city’s commitment to diversifying its energy resources but also signals a strategic move to reduce its reliance on Eskom’s power supply.
The R200 million project, expected to be completed within a year, aims to contribute between 7 MW and 10 MW of renewable energy to the city’s electricity grid. Cape Town has great potential to increase its share of solar energy, since solar energy still represents only a small percentage of the total energy mix, compared to countries like, Sweden and Germany, which have a larger percentage of solar energy.
In a recent statement made at The Electricity Hub, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis remarked: “What an exciting day this is for Cape Town and the people of Atlantis. This is one of our flagship projects to build a more secure energy future with cleaner and more affordable energy.”
Once up and running, the solar plant will connect to a nearby main substation, seamlessly
feeding clean energy directly into the grid. Mayor Hill-Lewis expects the first flow of
electricity from the facility by late 2025.
Hill-Lewis said: “The city currently uses 75% of the tariff income from our electricity sales
to buy Eskom power. With the continued Eskom price escalations, we simply have to
diversify energy resources.”
He also highlighted the potential for expansion, announcing the city’s bold vision to roll
out similar solar plants across the metro in the coming years, further powering Cape Town’s
future.
Since Eskom recently applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for a hefty 36% tariff increase—citing escalating costs of power provision—and proposing an additional 11.8% hike for 2027, followed by a 9.1% increase the year after, the urgency of finding alternative energy sources has never been clearer.
Against this backdrop, Mayor Hill-Lewis’s vision of solar expansion across Cape Town is not just ambitious, but essential, as the city looks to future-proof its energy supply and reduce dependence on Eskom.
The city also announced the release of its first 5MW battery storage tender, with the storage facility to be constructed on the same site in Atlantis. By co-locating the battery system with the solar PV plant, both technologies can operate synergistically as a hybrid energy solution.
“The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project aims to serve as a pilot project to eventually incorporate energy storage within the City’s network,” said Limberg.
The solar plant and battery storage initiative are critical components of Cape Town’s 2050 Energy Strategy, which focuses on diversifying energy sources and ensuring a secure energy future for the city.
So, all in all, we seem to have not only reached the silver lining with this landmark venture, but also the significant milestone of 189 days without loadshedding. With Spring here upon us Eskom is seemingly cruising towards the 200 day no-loadshedding mark with Megawatts to spare – a significant achievement considering (pun intended) the dismal power supply performance of recent years. But that doesn't mean the City of Cape Town is ready to rest on its laurels.
Fully deserving of praise, we can only wish the CoCT well in its mission to save the WC.
Potential service providers are requested to submit their applications on the city’s tender portal before November 20.
