Ramaphosa: Our Ambitious Energy Plan Will Establish A Firm Foundation For Growth And Job Creation

EVERY South African knows how important electricity is in our lives. When it is available no one thinks about it. But when we have load shedding everything just goes wrong in our lives at home, in our work environment and practically in every facet of our lives.

As we know only too well our energy security is precarious and load-shedding imposes very high costs on our economy. Our fleet of coal-fired power stations is ageing, vulnerable to breakdowns and incurs significant maintenance costs.

Reliable, secure and affordable energy supply is the lifeblood of any economy. To limit the impact of climate change, it is equally important that energy is sustainable and environmentally-sound.

We have one of the most energy-intensive economies in the world. While our energy sources have become more diverse than before with the increasing inclusion of renewable energy sources, we remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels, mainly coal.