Eskom developing bitcoin mining plan but needs Nersa’s nod

South Africa's state utility Eskom is developing a framework to sell surplus daytime electricity to bitcoin miners, taking advantage of the flexibility that mining operations offer to ramp up and down quickly. The midday surplus has grown due to widespread rooftop solar adoption displacing grid demand during daylight hours. Industrial customers were offered the excess capacity first but couldn't flex fast enough. Eskom is engaging multiple mining operators, including Bitmach, which proposes absorbing up to 5GW instantaneously. However, any new tariff structure requires approval from energy regulator Nersa, including a public consultation process, meaning a pilot is unlikely to launch soon.