L-R - Mr Lal Bihari, Deputy General Manager: NTPC, Sh. Prabhat Kumar, High Commissioner, Sh. Radhakrishnan Sarangapani, Executive Director: Business Development and Consultancy: NTPC, Mr Dan Marokane, CEO of Eskom, Prof Maurice Radebe, Head and Director, Wits Business School
India’s largest energy conglomerate The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and South Africa’s power utility Eskom signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Matla-Urja Energy Conference, held 27–28 November at Wits Business School in Johannesburg to collaborate on technical knowledge sharing and power generation improvements.
The agreement arose from Eskom’s need to learn from international experiences following the 2022 collapse of a fluidised gas desulfuriser chimney at one of its facilities which triggered intense load shedding across South Africa.
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane identified NTPC as a valuable partner, citing the utility’s extensive expertise in large-scale operations and renewable energy integration saying: “NTPC and Eskom are both state utilities with vast operational experience. There is much that we can learn from each other. Like South Africa, India has been running coal operations for many years and I think if we come together we can really make magic in terms of performance on both sides.”
The partnership focuses on growing technical engineering capabilities, facilitating renewable energy technology transfer, improving asset management for ageing infrastructure, optimising emissions performance and building capacity through advanced training programs.
Mr Radhakrishnan Sarangapani, Executive Director Business Development: NTPC, pointed to the synergies between the two organisations. The 76-gigawatt Indian energy company will share insights into operational best practices and strategies for transitioning to cleaner energy sources from its extensive coal-fired power station operations and renewable energy assets.
“We have a huge experience in the coal fleet operating stations and operating practices, here is where the synergy lies. We will learn something from them and they will learn something from us. Together we move forward,” said Sarangapani.
Through this partnership, Eskom plans to draw on NTPC’s experience in plant renovation and modernisation of existing power plants, technical audits, operational improvements and midlife asset assessments.
The collaboration began with a preliminary knowledge exchange program. Thirteen Eskom engineers visited India in July to study NTPC’s facilities and operational processes. NTPC representatives subsequently toured Eskom sites to understand South Africa’s specific operational challenges and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Capacity building is a key component of the agreement. Plans are underway to develop a year-long training program for Eskom executives. The collaboration also includes joint research and development initiatives to address technical and operational challenges.
“We also have some experiences to learn from NTPC in as far as looking after assets that have had quite a number of years behind their belt. And so in the areas of the midlife, assessments, replenishments and innovative ways of interventions that allows us to have better emissions performance of our fleet. These are the areas that we want to explore,” said the Eskom CEO.
The agreement serves as a model for global utility partnerships, offering insights into effective strategies for addressing complex challenges in the power sector. By sharing expertise and driving innovation, this partnership emphasises the role of international cooperation in achieving sustainable energy goals.