April 2013
SOUTHERN AFRICA expects to commission projects that will add about 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the regional grid this year.

The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), which coordinates the planning, generation, transmission and marketing of electricity on behalf of Member State utilities in the SADC region, said the bulk of the new electricity, will come from South Africa and Botswana.

Speaking at a SADC Energy Thematic Group meeting held in Gaborone, Botswana, in late February, SAPP Coordination Centre Manager Lawrence Musaba said South Africa’s Eskom will weigh in with 923 MW, while the Botswana Power Company will add a total of 600 MW.

The power from South Africa is expected to come from Medupi thermal station, Komati thermal station and another solar energy project, which is underway in the country. (See table below) Medupi will contribute 722 MW, Komati 101 MW, while the remaining 100 MW will come from the solar energy project.

The new power in Botswana is expected to come from the Morupela B thermal project that is already under construction.

Zambia's Zesco will add 180 MW from its Kariba North hydro plan, while independent power producers in Namibia and Malawi will add 60 MW and 60 MW respectively to the regional grid.

The power from Namibia will be harnessed from wind, while that from Malawi will come from hydro.

Independent power producers in the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia will also add about 60 MW and 50 MW respectively. Tanzania’s power will be from gas, and Zambia’s from Ndola Energy.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s SNEL will weigh in with 55 MW from the rehabilitation of Inga Dam project.

This new power is expected to help the SADC region boost its supplies as well as partially meet its growing demand.

In the year 2012, SAPP was able to add a total of 1,031 MW. Next year, the regional power pool is expected to commission projects that will add about 4,620 MW.