The business case has shifted. Load shedding stabilised, but Eskom and municipal tariffs keep climbing — historically near 9% annually — with increasing fixed charges and time-of-use structures that penalise peak demand.
- Self-generation plus storage:
- Covers own load first (cheapest electron)
- Shifts peak with batteries around TOU windows
- Creates surplus for feed-in or wheeling revenue
- Locks in PPA pricing for 15–25 years — a balance-sheet hedge financiers understand
For mining and heavy C&I, energy is a major opex line. A firm PPA from a bankable developer de-risks both cost and uptime.