In a bold move with potential nationwide implications, the Tshwane city council greenlit the leasing of Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations to independent power producers (IPPs) on Thursday, January 25.

This 40-year lease agreement, approved after robust public engagement, marks a significant step towards Tshwane's energy independence and potentially, a blueprint for other municipalities grappling with South Africa's crippling power generation woes.

Details of the tender process and potential IPPs have not been made public yet. The rationale behind the move is to reinvigorate mothballed infrastructure and diversify the city's energy mix. These two coal-fired stations, once the backbone of Tshwane's electricity needs, have been sidelined since Eskom assumed national grid responsibilities. The city has still, however, been paying the expenses of the power producers.

Pretoria West has a total capacity of 180MW, but has not been producing any electricity, while Rooiwal has a capacity of 300MW and has been producing around 60MW. “Today’s council approval is one of the six steps to get the two power stations running again” said Tshwane Mayor CIlliers Brink.

Tshwane’s aims to obtain at least 1000MW of independent, alternative energy by 2027. This is part of a greater trend in which municipalities are reviving electricity infrastructure in order to combat load shedding and reliance on Eskom.