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Could Cape Town Tap China’s Renewable Energy Expertise to Address Crippling Blackouts?

by Njenga Hakeenah
File image of Cape Town during on one of the regular black outs, or load shedding periods, that are now common in South Africa's second city. RODGER BOSCH / AFP

As South Africa’s power woes worsen, Cape Town is seeking to double electricity supplies from hydropower from the current 200 megawatts (MW) in a desperate bid to reduce the impact of chronic power outages.

South Africa’s second-biggest city is trying to reduce its reliance on the national utility, Eskom which is struggling to meet electricity demand. This has seen the company impose rotational blackouts which are sometimes lasting more than 10 hours every day.

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