Repowering Energy Systems for Energy Transition PforR Program (WB-P514521)

Regions
  • Africa
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • South Africa
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Specific Location
Camden, Hendrina, Grootvlei, Arnot and Kriel
Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.
Financial Institutions
  • World Bank (WB)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Proposed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
U
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Voting Date
Feb 18, 2027
Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.
Borrower
Eskom Holdings SOC LTD
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Energy
  • Industry and Trade
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Loan
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 140.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 2,501.13 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Bank Documents
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ WB website

Updated in EWS Aug 27, 2026

Disclosed by Bank Dec 9, 2025

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

According to the Bank’s website, the objective of this project is to repower select Eskom coal plants with new renewable energy capacity.

Results Area 1: Renewable Energy. This Results Area will involve the installation of renewable energy generation and energy storage systems through public-private partnerships to enhance system reliability and flexibility, thereby reducing reliance on coal-based power generation. It will be implemented in the outer areas surrounding the originally targeted Camden, Grootvlei, Hendrina, Arnot, and Kriel power stations. Specifically, the repowering initiative will include the installation of up to 1,572 MW of solar and wind power, along with 850 MW of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

Results Area 2: Private Sector Mobilization. This Results Area will support Eskom (Renewable division) work on establishing PPP arrangements that aim at attracting private sector participation while ensuring Eskom’s role in South Africa’s clean energy transition.

Results Area 3: Emissions Reduction. This results area will support Eskom in optimizing its dispatch system to prioritize generation from more efficient and affordable stations, which will facilitate the reduction of coal consumption and GHG emissions from other coal stations.

Results Area 4: Workforce Transition (to be confirmed). This results area will support Eskom in designing a comprehensive Workforce Transition strategy to ensure a just and well-planned transition for workers at the five coal-fired power stations scheduled for decommissioning under Phase 3 of the MPA. Key activities will include a detailed worker profiling exercise across all five stations to inform the development of a comprehensive transition strategy outlining clear pathways for upskilling and reskilling aligned with emerging employment opportunities, redeployment within Eskom and the broader energy and infrastructure ecosystem, and voluntary separation or early retirement options for those choosing to exit the workforce.

Early Warning System Project Analysis
For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

According to the Program Information Document (PID), an Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) will be undertaken prior to Appraisal to further evaluate the environmental and social effects of the Program and the adequacy of borrower systems.

Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

Total Project Cost: US$ 2501.13 million
IBRD Commitment: US$ 140.00 million

Private Actors Description
A Private Actor is a non-governmental body or entity that is the borrower or client of a development project, which can include corporations, private equity and banks. This describes the private actors and their roles in relation to the project, when private actor information is disclosed or has been further researched.

Eskom Hld SOC Ltd is a South African state-owned electricity public utility. The utility is the largest producer of electricity in Africa, and it operates a number of notable power stations, including Matimba Power Station and Medupi Power Station in Lephalale, Kusile Power Station in Witbank, Kendal Power Station, and Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in the Western Cape Province, the only nuclear power plant in Africa.

Private Actor 1 Private Actor 1 Role Private Actor 1 Sector Relation Private Actor 2 Private Actor 2 Role Private Actor 2 Sector
- - - - Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd Client -

Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

World Bank
Tatyana Kramskaya
Senior Energy Specialist

Borrower/Client/Recipient
Eskom Holdings SOC LTD

Implementing Agencies
Eskom Holdings SOC LTD

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

To submit an information request for project information, you will have to create an account to access the Access to Information request form. You can learn more about this process at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/access-to-information/request-submission

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. Information on how to file a complaint and a complaint request form are available at: https://www.inspectionpanel.org/how-to-file-complaint

How it works

How it works