Electricity trader Enpower Trading has been granted an import/export licence by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to participate in cross-border electricity transactions within the Southern African Development Community.
The approval builds on Enpower’s domestic trading licence, awarded in February 2022, and advances the implementation of the Electricity Regulation Act’s provisions for regional power market integration. According to the company, it is one of the first private entities in South Africa to receive this type of licence. Enpower is now positioned to trade electricity across borders under the rules of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
“The licence will help reduce pressure on South Africa’s grid during periods of constrained supply and minimise the curtailment of available renewable energy. Cross-border flows are also expected to generate transmission and distribution revenue while expanding market access for independent power producers,” says Enpower Trading’s CEO James Beatty.
The company’s regional strategy includes a commercial agreement with Enterprise Power DRC, which is developing the Kalumbila-Kolwezi 330 kV interconnector between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Once completed, the project is expected to unlock up to 700 MW of cross-border trading capacity within the SAPP framework.
