Heritage Cases

Eskom Holdings is the biggest producer of electricity in South Africa and is a vertically integrated company licensed to generate, transmit and distribute electricity. A distribution operation constructs and maintains equipment that transforms the power supply to the type that meets the customer's needs. Reliable network performance targets necessitate that Eskom Distribution improves present distribution network performance levels. The need and desirability for this specific development is to assist Transnet (SOC) Ltd (Transnet) in increasing its export coal capacity to 81MTPA and to upgrade the Direct Current (DC) sections on the Transnet traction site as well as on the corresponding Eskom sides. Local benefits of the proposed development include benefits to the local economy through possible job creation and local supplier procurement during the construction phase as well as during the operational phase of the development. The project qualifies as a Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP 10), namely “Electricity transmission and distribution for all”. The project serves to “expand the transmission and distribution network to address historical imbalances, provide access to electricity for all and support economic development. Align the 10-year transmission plan, the services backlog, the national broadband roll-out and the freight rail line development to leverage off regulatory approvals, supply chain and project development capacity”.