Name of the Project
Richards Bay gas-to-power project.

Location
Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
State-owned power utility Eskom Holdings.

The project is to be developed through a private-sector participation model involving strategic partners, project finance and long-term power offtake arrangements. The final partner and ownership structure has not been announced.

Project Description
The project entails the construction of a 3 000 MW combined-cycle gas power plant, planned to operate primarily as a midmerit facility over an expected 25-year life. Regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported through the proposed Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET) at the Port of Richards Bay will be the primary fuel.

The plant is intended to provide flexible, dispatchable capacity to complement variable renewable-energy generation, support grid stability and reduce reliance on diesel-fired generation. It is designated a Strategic Integrated Project under the Infrastructure Development Act and forms part of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 allocation for Eskom to deliver 
3 000 MW of gas-fired capacity by 2030.

Potential Job Creation
No figures stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
The IRP 2025 envisages Eskom's delivering gas-fired capacity by 2030.

Construction and commissioning dates have not been announced and remain dependent on approvals, commercial agreements, financing and supporting LNG infrastructure.

Latest Developments
Eskom and ZET signed a Heads of Agreement on June 5, 2026, establishing a framework for a long-term strategic partnership.

Eskom will assume foundation-customer status at the proposed open-access LNG terminal, which will provide import, storage and regasification services for the plant. The parties plan to progress regulatory approvals, commercial structuring and infrastructure development towards a binding terminal-use agreement and financial close. The project does not currently have a valid environmental authorisation. In September 2025, the Supreme Court of Appeal set aside the previous authorisation after finding that the public-participation process had failed to meaningfully include directly affected Zulu-speaking communities.

Eskom said it was considering its next steps; the June 2026 agreement confirms that further regulatory approvals remain necessary.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Eskom Media Desk, email mediadesk@eskom.co.za.