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South Africa’s programme to narrow a shortage of as much as 3 000 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation has drawn interest from solar, gas and powership (floating power plant) developers.

Richards Bay Gas Power 2, Scatec Solar SA and Karpowership SA are among firms listed as bidders for the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers’ Procurement Programme on the website of the Independent Power Producer office. The power utility of the most industrialised nation on the continent, Eskom, has a poorly maintained generation fleet that struggles to meet demand, resulting in electricity rationing that has dented the economy. The emergency programme, designed to bring projects online in the shortest possible time, is part of a government effort to bolster the grid.

South Africa earlier this year revoked an environmental exemption granted to Karpowership because the company that generates electricity from vessels moored offshore failed to fully disclose its reasons for the application.- Bloomberg