The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) has officially begun operations, signifying its establishment as a subsidiary of Eskom.
In a joint media statement from Eskom, NTCSA, and the Department of Public Enterprises, this development is hailed as a crucial milestone in the reform of South Africa’s electricity supply industry.
Eskom Board chairperson Mteto Nyati said: “[The NTCSA] will focus on increasing the capacity of the national transmission grid to allow the connection of much-needed new power generation capacity.”
“As a wholly owned subsidiary, it will operate under the direction of an independent board while providing open access to the electricity network. We look forward to contributing to a more efficient and transparent electricity industry,” he added.
The NTCSA board chairperson, Priscillah Mabelane, has said the entity is embarking on an important journey alongside other crucial departments involved in energy generation. “Our commitment is to continue focusing on ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operations while accelerating the development of an interconnected transmission system in line with our mandate,” she said.
“We will ensure non-discriminatory access to the transmission network and seek ways to accelerate the rollout of the transmission grid while fostering transparency and efficiency.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to our team, Eskom, the Inter-Governmental Steering Committee comprising of the Department of Minerals and Energy, National Treasury and the Shareholder Representative, DPE, for their immense support in achieving this pivotal milestone,” Mabelane added.
The joint statement indicates that the NTCSA will own and manage the national transmission system, the world-class System Operator, the grid strengthening function, energy market services, and the International Trader.
Compiled by Warren Hawkins
