SAPP to commission 18,000 MW of additional power generation capacity by 2016

• 11 years ago (2013-04-10)
• David Flin

Africa 303

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The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) plans to commission about 18,000 MW of additional power generation capacity by 2016, to improve the current negative reserve margin to as much as 15 per cent, according to Lawrence Musaba, SAPP’s Zimbabwe Coordinator Centre Manager.

The current demand-supply ratio in the SAPP is running at a deficit, with a negative reserve margin of about -4.6 per cent, compared to the preferred 10 per cent. Although SAPP members boasted a combined installed capacity of 57,183 MW, they only had a combined available power generation capacity of 51,702 MW. However, Musaba pointed out that the SAPP’s reserve margin was expected to improve from 2016 onwards, when most of the power generation projects that are currently at a planning or construction stage will be operational. He said: “This year, we expect to commission 1992 MW in new generation capacity, while in 2016, we expect to commission 6021 MW. And from now until 2016, 17,856 MW will be commissioned.” Musaba said that meeting the growing power demand in the Southern African region would require a coordinated approach to planning and implementation of generation and transmission projects.

SAPP comprises 12 countries with a combined total population of around 250 million, an annual energy consumption of 400 TWh, and a yearly average energy growth rate of 2.5 per cent. However, generation and transmission capacity constraints are among the key factors affecting bilateral trading in the SAPP, and about $5.6 billion will be required to develop transmission projects in the region.