South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) welcomes 4,600 MW battery storage prioritisation and calls for integrated energy planning
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa : The South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) (www.SAESA.org.za) welcomes the prioritisation of 4,600 MW of battery energy storage under the first Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 Section 34 determination.
The timing is significant. Recent Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) modelling and assumptions discussions highlighted a fundamental shift that South Africa’s energy planning now needs to capture: we cannot plan the future power system by counting megawatts of generation alone.
We must plan for when energy is available, where it is available, how it moves through a constrained grid and how it is stored and dispatched when the system needs it most.
The announcement reinforces that shift. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming critical system infrastructure, supporting flexibility, reducing avoidable curtailment, shifting energy into periods of demand and strengthening security of supply.
For SAESA, the message for the IEP is clear: storage, flexibility and system services must be modelled as integral components of South Africa’s future electricity architecture, with their contribution considered from the outset of generation planning.
“The IEP must plan the power system we are becoming, not simply model the power system we have inherited,” says SAESA.
Partnership with C&I Energy + Storage Summit
SAESA is an association partner of the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, created by VUKA Group, taking place on 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg.
The summit brings together commercial and industrial energy users, project developers, financiers, regulators and solution providers to explore practical approaches to energy security, procurement and storage deployment.
For businesses assessing how storage can support their operations, the event offers an opportunity to meet SAESA and engage with the wider energy community on the decisions shaping South Africa’s evolving electricity system.
Commercial and industrial energy decision-makers are invited to apply to attend as hosted buyers. Qualifying buyers receive complimentary summit access and curated opportunities to engage with industry partners.
Meet SAESA at C&I Energy + Storage Summit: Join the Hosted Buyer Programme
The Hosted Buyer Programme connects commercial and industrial energy decision-makers with solution providers shaping South Africa’s evolving private energy market.
Qualified energy buyers receive complimentary access to the summit and curated engagement with industry partners exploring energy procurement, storage deployment and project development.
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