South Africa's Coal Giant Adds Solar to Major Power Plant

One of Africa's biggest coal power plants is getting a solar makeover, and it signals hope for the continent's energy future.

Eskom, South Africa's national power utility, opened a tender this week to build a 17 MW solar facility at its massive Duvha Power Station in Mpumalanga province. The coal plant has been running since the early 1980s and remains one of the country's largest fossil fuel generators.

The solar addition isn't just symbolic. Eskom plans to use the renewable energy to ease system constraints that have plagued South Africa with rolling blackouts while slowly reducing the station's carbon footprint.

The project will occupy 35 hectares of land at the Duvha site near Witbank. Contractors will handle everything from design and construction to two years of operations and maintenance, with the winning bid selected in February after a January 30 deadline.

South Africa has faced years of energy instability, with frequent power cuts affecting homes, businesses, and hospitals. The country relies heavily on aging coal infrastructure that struggles to meet demand while contributing significantly to emissions.

The Ripple Effect

This solar project at Duvha represents more than one utility's infrastructure upgrade. It shows how even coal-dependent energy giants can pivot toward cleaner power without abandoning their existing facilities or workforce.

The approach could become a blueprint across Africa and other developing regions where coal still dominates but renewable costs have plummeted. By building solar capacity directly at coal sites, utilities can use existing grid connections and land while retraining workers in new energy technologies.

Eskom already launched a larger tender in August for 291 MW of solar capacity across multiple projects. That procurement required minimum 10 MW projects and will roll out in phases, showing the utility's commitment extends beyond single demonstration projects.

The transition won't happen overnight, but each solar panel installed at a coal station proves the shift is possible and practical.

South Africa's energy future looks a little brighter today, one megawatt at a time.