About 427MW of planned new generating capacity was delayed from connecting to South Africa’s grid in the 2025/26 financial year, Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has told Parliament — a tally that includes the 75MW Mulilo Total Hydra Storage facility in the Northern Cape.
Minister cites construction, grid and commissioning problems
Responding to questions from MP Delisile Ntshaba, Ramokgopa said the setbacks were largely attributable to “construction-related challenges, grid connections, and project-specific commissioning”. He listed five projects that were scheduled to reach commercial operation in 2025/26 but were subsequently delayed.
“Five planned projects, representing approximately 427MW, were scheduled to achieve commercial operation during the 2025/26 financial year but were subsequently delayed.” — Kgosientsho Ramokgopa
Those five projects, as identified by the minister, are:
- Wolf Wind Farm (Eastern Cape) — 84MW
- Doornhoek PV (North West) — 120MW
- Oya Energy Hybrid Facility (Western Cape) — 128MW
- Mulilo Total Hydra Storage (Northern Cape) — 75MW
- Umoyilanga Energy Avondale (Eastern and Northern Cape) — 19.94MW
Local project in focus
The Mulilo Total Hydra Storage project, sited in the Northern Cape, is the only delayed facility in this list explicitly located within the province. Storage projects are seen as key to balancing renewable output and addressing intermittency, particularly in the country’s sun-drenched and wind-rich regions. Delays to commissioning therefore have technical and economic consequences for grid stability and for local benefits tied to construction and operations.
Ramokgopa also outlined projects that did reach commercial operation during the year. Of 17 planned projects with an installed capacity of 1,657MW, 12 totalling 1,230MW achieved commercial operation, the minister said, with many originating from Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
What the numbers mean
| Planned (2025/26) | Achieved | Delayed |
|---|---|---|
| 1,657MW | 1,230MW | ~427MW |
While the majority of planned capacity did reach operation, the 427MW delay represents projects whose commissioning timelines were pushed back, potentially shifting expected supply into later fiscal years.
Implications for the Northern Cape
For the Northern Cape, which has the nation’s largest renewable resource footprint but is sparsely populated, delays to storage capacity are notable. Energy storage can reduce curtailment of renewables, provide ancillary services and improve dispatchability. Postponement of the Mulilo Total Hydra Storage facility will postpone those benefits locally.
- Possible knock-on effects on local employment tied to final construction and commissioning phases.
- Deferred local procurement and service opportunities for suppliers and contractors in the region.
- Reduced immediate contribution to grid balancing capacity from the province’s assets.
National context and next steps
The minister’s response also referenced the Umoyilanga Energy project, which comprises both wind and solar components plus battery energy storage. Its Dassiesridge wind-and-BESS component achieved provisional commercial operation with a net dependable capacity of 55.06MW, while the Avondale solar-plus-BESS component’s remaining 19.94MW was expected to be fully commissioned by 5 December 2026.
Ramokgopa’s update reflects ongoing challenges across the renewables pipeline where construction logistics, grid connection availability and final commissioning processes must be synchronised. Those bottlenecks affect timelines even when finance and procurement processes have been completed.
For communities and stakeholders in the Northern Cape, the practical takeaway is that while national procurement programmes continue to add capacity, some anticipated benefits can be delayed by site-specific technical and grid constraints. Project owners, transmission operators and government will need to coordinate closely to avoid prolonged postponements.
Further parliamentary scrutiny and project-level reporting will be the avenue through which revised commercial-operation dates and causes for delay are clarified. Ramokgopa’s statement provides a national snapshot; local authorities and the project promoters remain the primary sources for detailed schedules and community-impact plans on the Mulilo Total Hydra Storage project.
Elmarie Coetzee is the Northern Cape correspondent based in Kimberley.
