In a major development, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has approved the trading, as well as the import and export licenses for the National Transmission Company South Africa SOC Limited (NTCSA), which is in the process of being established as an independent unbundled division of South Africa’s state-owned electric utility Eskom.
NTCSA had been granted a trading license for a period of five years, as a transitional arrangement ahead of the amendment of the Electricity Regulation Act, as well as price review processes. The approval of the import and export license, meanwhile, will facilitate electricity trade conducted through the Southern African Power Pool, as well as wheeling on behalf of cross-border utilities. NERSA has also confirmed its approval of Eskom’s standard offer power purchase agreement and its emergency power procurement programme.