Riyaz Patel
Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has given more detail on the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), saying the strategy would unlock investment in small energy projects, and increase electricity generation to 45,000 megawatts.
He said coal will continue to play a significant role in South Africa’s plan to boost electricity generation over the next decade, with more renewable energy also lined up.
Mantashe was putting the meat on the bones of South Africa’s plan for electricity generation until 2030 as the country experienced power cuts for a third day, with power utility Eskom struggling against capacity shortages.
“The IRP 2019 supports a diversified energy mix. Coal will continue to play a significant role in electricity generation as the country has the resource in abundance,” Mantashe said.
“New investments will be directed towards more-efficient coal technologies, underground coal gasification and the development of carbon capture and storage to enable us to continue using coal resources in an environmentally responsible way.”
Mantashe added that the additional capacity for the energy mix until 2030 would include 1,500 megawatts (MW) from coal, 2,500 MW from hydro, 6,000 MW from photovoltaic, 14,400 MW from wind, 2,088 MW from storage and 3,000 MW from gas.
The minister said it is a globally accepted fact that nuclear as a clean source of energy can contribute significantly to the reduction of emissions, but that the resource will be acquired at a “pace, scale & cost affordable to the country.”
The minister further said that government will continue to play a central role in the economy, but would allow independent power producers to operate.
“All intensive using sectors of the economy are battling, so we have a responsibility to talk to sectors to say ‘how can we make the economy work’.
“If you ask for guarantees in 10 years, you are saying we must not manage the economy, we will engage sectors but will not impose – they must be part of finding solutions,” he said.
