Wedoany.com Report-Aug. 17, South Africa’s state-owned utility, Eskom, has announced a request for proposals to develop 291 MW of solar energy capacity. The initiative aims to expand the country’s renewable energy infrastructure through structured power purchase agreements (PPAs).

Selected bidders will sign PPAs with Eskom to supply energy from the solar projects. The projects will be rolled out in phases, with commissioning planned accordingly. Eskom has specified that proposals for PPAs ranging from 5 to 25 years will be accepted, with a minimum project size of 10 MW.

A virtual clarification meeting is scheduled for September 2, 2025, to address bidder queries. Proposals must be submitted electronically by September 19, 2025. Eskom emphasized the importance of meeting these deadlines to ensure a smooth evaluation process.

This tender follows another recent opportunity from Eskom, which opened bids for engineering, procurement, and construction of a 72 MW solar project, with applications due by September 30, 2025.

In a broader context, South Africa’s government approved six solar projects in July 2025, adding nearly 1.3 GW of capacity under the seventh round of its renewable energy procurement program. The country has been steadily increasing its renewable energy capacity, deploying 1.1 GW of solar in 2024 after a record-breaking year for solar installations in 2023.

South Africa has set ambitious goals to further its renewable energy development, targeting at least 3 GW of new renewable capacity annually, with plans to scale up to 5 GW per year by 2030. Eskom’s latest tender aligns with these objectives, contributing to the nation’s efforts to enhance its clean energy portfolio.