Eskom Holdings has begun searching for a strategic partner to develop, finance and deliver the proposed Tubatse Pumped Storage Scheme, a 1.5-gigawatt project that would become South Africa’s largest pumped-storage facility if completed as planned.
The South African utility launched Request for Qualification E3611GXR on October 13, 2026, opening the first stage of a process intended to identify organisations with the resources and experience to advance the project. Responses must be submitted electronically through Eskom’s e-tendering portal by November 30, 2026, at 10:00 South African Standard Time.
Planned for a site near Roossenekal in Limpopo Province, Tubatse is designed to provide approximately 21 gigawatt-hours of energy storage. The proposed plant would use four reversible pump-turbine units, with enough storage to generate at its full 1.5GW output for as long as 14 hours.
The combination of generating capacity and extended storage duration is intended to give the power system greater flexibility as more renewable generation is connected. Pumped-storage facilities can draw electricity when power is available to move water for later use, then reverse operation to generate electricity when required.
“Tubatse will provide the flexibility needed to integrate increasing volumes of renewable energy while strengthening grid stability and security of supply,” Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said in the company’s October 13 statement.
Eskom said prospective partners will be assessed on their financial capacity, technical expertise, development record and willingness to make a long-term commitment to the scheme. Respondents that meet the qualification requirements will later be invited to participate in a Request for Proposal process.
The initial qualification exercise does not establish the project’s final ownership or commercial structure. Eskom anticipates placing Tubatse in a ring-fenced special-purpose vehicle, while the detailed partnership, ownership and commercial arrangements will be determined during the subsequent proposal stage.
That approach would separate the project within a dedicated entity while allowing Eskom and its eventual partner to negotiate their respective roles during the next phase. The utility has not set out final partnership terms in the qualification announcement, making the current process primarily a screening stage for capable participants.
Eskom said several important development requirements have already progressed. The land needed for the scheme has been secured, and the project has received environmental authorisation. Grid-connection studies are also at an advanced stage, while the Department of Water and Sanitation has confirmed that water will be available from De Hoop Dam.
Those steps provide a foundation for further development, although Tubatse remains a proposed project rather than an operating energy-storage system. The partner-selection process must still move through qualification and the later proposal stage before final ownership, financing and delivery arrangements are settled.
The project’s planned specifications place it at a substantial scale within South Africa’s storage infrastructure. Its 1.5GW rating represents the maximum generating output, while the roughly 21GWh energy figure reflects how much generation can be sustained over time. At full output, the four units are intended to operate for up to 14 hours.
Long-duration storage is central to Eskom’s stated rationale for the investment. The ability to store energy and dispatch it over many hours would help the utility manage changes in electricity supply and demand, while supporting grid stability as the generation mix changes.
The Request for Qualification will determine which interested parties are permitted to proceed to the competitive proposal phase. At that later stage, Eskom expects to establish the detailed financial and commercial framework for the special-purpose vehicle and clarify how the selected partner will participate in developing and delivering the scheme.
If the project advances to completion with the proposed capacity, Tubatse would take the position of South Africa’s largest pumped-storage facility. For now, its next milestone is the November 30 deadline, after which Eskom will evaluate respondents for entry into the Request for Proposal stage.
