Page 10 - AfrElec Week 43 2020

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done in Africa. But CPCS felt confident COAL South Africa’s cities to
breaking the mould for many reasons.
South Africa needs R178bn switch to solar as power

to help transition from coal, monopoly ends
GRID South Africa’s biggest cities are preparing
Nigeria to connect chad to study says to source their own power after the energy
ministry this month approved letting them
South Africa needs a climate finance
national power grid transaction of $11 billion (R178 billion) to wean themselves off the state utility that’s
subjected cities to outages for the past 13
help the country transition from coal to
The Nigerian government is in negotiations renewable energy and to soften the blow for years, Bloomberg reported.
with the Republic of Chad in an agreement communities dependent on the mining and Johannesburg and Cape Town, which
that could see it begin the supply of electricity use of the fossil fuel, a University of Cape have a combined population of about 10
to the North-Central African country soon. Town study said, Bloomberg reported. million people, plan to diversify away from
A meeting was recently between the South Africa, through state utility Eskom the electricity produced mainly from coal by
Nigerian team and the Chad Minister of Holdings, is almost entirely dependent on coal Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. to more sustainable
Energy, Mrs Ramatou Houtouin, who flew for electricity. The country produces the same sources such as solar and power generated
into Abuja in furtherance of the expected quantity of greenhouse gases as the UK, which from landfill gas.
deal, while the Nigerian team was led by top has an economy eight times larger. “The City is looking at 300 megawatts
officials of the Transmission Company of “The study envisions a climate finance of renewable” energy, Kadri Nassiep, Cape
Nigeria (TCN). transaction of $11 billion – the largest and Town’s executive director for energy and
A few months ago, the Chadian most significant of its kind – that will channel climate change, said by email. “If all clarity is
ambassador to Nigeria, Abakar Chachaimi, funds towards the accelerated phase-out of obtained and plans forge ahead, we could start
had asked for his country to be connected coal-fired power, keeping Eskom solvent as seeing greater diversification of our energy
to Nigeria’s electricity grid during a visit to it decarbonises,” the university said in a press resources as a city in about three to five years
the Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman in release on Tuesday about the research. The time.”
Abuja. funds would also support “the communities In addition to improving security of
Chachaimi argued that connecting and workers affected by the shift away from supply, the move will allow the cities to boost
Chad to Nigeria’s electricity grid would coal.” their fight against climate change by using
further enhance the historical and economic South Africa’s eastern Mpumalanga power that doesn’t result in the emission of
collaborations between both countries. If the province is heavily dependent on coal mining greenhouse gases. Still, it will slash revenue for
agreement is eventually reached, Chad will and coal-fired power plants for employment. Eskom, which is struggling to service a $30
add to the number of countries that depend South Africa would only need to use billion debt bill.
partly on Nigeria for their electricity needs. 0.0025% of its landmass to generate enough “Internationally many cities are at the
Much of Nigeria’s generated electricity solar power to meet its energy needs, forefront of dealing with climate-change
remain unused because the country is not able the study said. The country has suffered disasters and so have adopted proactive
to distribute it as a result of poor transmission intermittent power cuts due to inadequate climate-change responses,” Lauren Hermanus,
and distribution network, which has generation capacity since 2008. director of Adapt, a South African company
prompted it to sell to neighbouring countries. that provides consultancy services on
sustainable energy, said in an interview.
“We are also all aware of Eskom’s related
ESKOM operational, governance and fiscal challenges,

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