This project examines how private sector involvement can support the expansion of South Africa’s transmission infrastructure, reducing the burden on public finances while accelerating the integration of renewable energy into the national grid. Two primary models are evaluated:
- A state-backed IPT model, focused on developing and enhancing the high-voltage transmission network.
- An IPP-backed collector grid model, designed to connect peripheral renewable energy projects to the central transmission backbone, working “outside-in” from distributed generation points.
These models converge at the 400 kV network level, offering a complementary framework for grid expansion combining centralised upgrades with decentralised connectivity.