Accelerating virtual wheeling in SA Mezzanine and Open Access Energy (OAE) have entered into a formal reseller agreement, bringing together two technology- driven businesses committed to advancing South Africa’s liberalised electricity market.
can access renewable energy procurement at scale without changing their relationship with their network provider or disrupting their existing supply arrangements. Virtual wheeling is ideal for buyers with multiple properties, especially if they’re served by different power suppliers (Eskom or municipalities). It’s also great for people who are committed to reducing carbon emissions or seeking long-term, predictable energy prices. This method lets them buy renewable energy for all their locations at once (a ‘portfolio’ approach), and the more green energy they integrate across this portfolio, the better the financial benefits become over time. The complexity lies in the administration. Wheeling transactions require metering data reconciliation, tariff calculations, net- work charge management, monthly settle- ment processing, and regulatory compliance across multiple parties simultaneously. That is precisely the problem that technology platforms like Mezzanine’s Virtual Wheeling Platform and OAE’s Energypro are built to solve. A partnership built for market scale The agreement positions both companies to serve the growing demand for renewable energy procurement solutions as more cor- porations seek direct access to clean power. With South Africa’s regulatory environment increasingly supportive of third-party wheeling, the timing reflects a market that is moving from pilot transactions to com- mercial scale. OAE’s Energypro platform currently serves independent power producers, energy traders, and corporate off-takers across South Africa, providing infrastruc- ture for transaction management, billing, reconciliation, and portfolio optimisation. Mezzanine’s Virtual Wheeling Platform Solution is an established technology that facilitates and manages Eskom virtual wheeling transactions at scale across the South African market. Together, the two platforms create an end-to-end capability, from transaction origination and PPA structuring through to metering, settlement, and ongoing portfolio management. This is delivered through a single integrated experience for buyers and sellers alike. www.mezzanineware.com
Virtual wheeling allows entities to transact on behalf of multiple Eskom- or municipally-connected customers simultaneously.
U nder an agreement between Mez- zanine and Open Access Energy, OAE will market, sell and operate Mezzanine’s Virtual Wheeling Platform as part of its EnergyPro platform offering. The partnership enables corporate energy buyers, independent power produc- ers, and traders to access virtual wheeling infrastructure through a single, integrated experience. Wheeling is the mechanism that allows a renewable energy generator to sell electric- ity to a buyer located elsewhere on the na- tional grid, using the existing transmission and distribution network as the conduit. Rather than building direct physical infra- structure between the generator and the buyer, the grid carries the power, and the transaction is settled financially. Gerjo Hoffman, CEO of Open Access Energy, notes that “South Africa’s energy transition is accelerating, and the infrastruc- ture to support it needs to match that pace.” He further highlights that “this partnership gives our customers access to proven wheel- ing technology, backed by the commercial and operational capabilities we have built at OAE.” Jacques de Vos, CEO of Mezzanine, adds that “Virtual Wheeling is an important step towards a more inclusive and competitive energy market. Our partnership with OAE is key in expanding market access to the Mezzanine Virtual Wheeling Platform,” he says. There are two ways to wheel energy in South Africa, and the differences between
them matter significantly for buyers. Traditional wheeling is the established model. A generator wheels electricity directly to one or more off-takers; the off- taker’s Eskom supply agreement is formally amended to accommodate the arrangement, and all contracts are concluded within an Eskom provincial network boundary. This model is available to high- and medium- voltage Eskom-connected end-users. It is a well-understood and operationally stable process, but it requires amendments to supply agreements before procurement can begin, potentially introducing additional deposit requirements and contractual com- plexity. It also excludes low-voltage custom- ers and those supplied entirely through municipalities. Eskom’s Virtual wheeling mechanism is a newer product that fundamentally ex- pands the pool of participants. Rather than requiring a direct bilateral arrangement between a single generator and a single off-taker, virtual wheeling allows entities to transact on behalf of multiple Eskom- or municipally-connected customers simulta- neously, claiming energy purchased from a generator across an entire portfolio of sites. Critically, no amendment to an exist- ing Eskom supply agreement is required, no new deposit obligations are triggered, and customers supplied through a municipality can participate on the same basis as those connected directly to Eskom. This is a meaningful shift. For the first time, low- and medium-voltage customers, whether Eskom- or municipally-connected,
30 ¦ MechChem Africa • July-August 2026
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