Page 6 - AfrElec Week 06 2022

AfrElec COAL AfrElec

SA’s Mantashe

defends coal’s role in

power generation

SOUTH AFRICA THE South African government has defended Mantashe is being sued by Peter Becker, who
the use of coal in power generation as it plans to served on this board while also being a spokes-
develop the country’s coal mines man for the Koeberg Alert Alliance until Man-
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister tashe suspended him.
Gwede Mantashe said that the use of coal was “You can’t be on a board of something you are
unfairly being attacked, the Sunday Times working against,” Mantashe said.
reported. “You are an anti-nuclear activist. You can’t sit
Mantashe said that extending the lifespan of in the board of nuclear and get all the details of
coal mining is important, even as some try to the plans and go and plan a programme against
shorten it. that entity. It’s not allowed.”
“We are here to discuss how we can survive However, the need for a robust power grid
that offensive and extend the life of coal mining,” continues to be clear, as South Africa is yet again
said Mantashe. experiencing load-shedding.
“We are in a situation where coal is under The country is currently undergoing stage 1
siege. What I am putting to you as labour and load-shedding, reduced from stage 2 at 21:00 on
communities is that I do not hear you. Half the February 4.
time, you whisper.” “While there has been an improvement in the
Meanwhile, he explained that the global generation capacity, and a significant recovery
community’s pledge at COP26 to provide South in the emergency generation reserves, caution
Africa with ZAR130bn ($11.8bn) in low-cost is still called for, as this is not sufficient to sus-
funding towards low-carbon alternatives was pend load-shedding at this point,” Eskom said
insufficient to wean the country off coal. in a statement.
Mantashe argued that this figure is only one “Eskom will continue to evaluate the system
year’s income in the coal market and was insuffi- and make the necessary adjustments as soon as
cient to transform the industry. conditions allow.”
“When you generate ZAR130bn in one year, Eskom warned at the end of January that
my mind gallops to say we are being offered country must brace itself for more scheduled
ZAR131bn to close coal mining, and I am say- electricity blackouts on its road to operational
ing you are making that money in one year,” said recovery and sustainability.
Mantashe. Eskom said that planned outages are neces-
“How do you close your projects for what sary interventions that will deliver long-term
you do in one year? I am not a rebel. I am rais- benefits and the security of energy supply.
ing the reality that must be in the analysis we are Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer warned that
making.” while Eskom would do what it could to limit
Mantashe also explained earlier this week the scheduled blackouts, it would not be at
that he had suspended a community representa- the expense of its reliability maintenance
tive from the National Nuclear Regulator’s board programme.™
because they were an opponent of atomic power.

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 06 10•February•2022