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AfrElec ESKOM AfrElec

Eskom outlines ambitious $7.2bn

investment in wind and solar

ASIA SOUTH Africa’s Eskom aims to invest on the sites of coal-fired plants that are scheduled
ZAR106bn ($7.2bn) in 5.6 GW of new solar to close.
capacity and 8.2 GW of new wind projects over Eskom said that its spending plans would be
the next decade in a bid to reduce emissions and divided into three phases.
lessen coal’s dominance of the economy. In Phase 1 (2022-2023), it aims to build 246
In total, South Africa aims to reach 11.5 GW MW of solar PV at the Arnot, Duvha, Lethabo,
of onshore wind by 2030, together with 8 GW of Majuba and Tutuka coal-fired power plants, as
solar PV and 600 MW capacity of CSP. well as 100 MW of solar capacity at Komati and
The company said this week that it could 19.5 MW of solar power at the site of the Sere
invest the money by itself or through partner- wind-power plant.
ships with private investors. In Phase 2 (2023-2025), projects include 750
The plans come as Eskom CEO André de MW of concentrated solar power (CSP) at Oly-
Ruyter said in August that South Africa could venhoutsdrift in the Northern Cape, 600 MW of
not ignore its carbon footprint, and that Eskom PV power added at Sere, 300 MW of wind power
must pivot to green energy. at Kleinzee, 200 MW of wind power at Aberdeen
He said that the South African economy, on a in the Eastern Cape province, and 250 MW of
per capita basis, was 25% more carbon intensive renewable capacity on the sites of decommis-
than China, and double the global average. sioned coal-fired power plants.
South Africa emits roughly half the total In Phase 3 (2025-2030), 2,950 MW of solar
carbon emitted by the African continent, and PV capacity and 3,100 MW of wind power
Eskom emits about 44% of the total South Afri- would be built at as yet unidentified locations.
can carbon emissions, he said. The key change here is that until now, most
The new investment programme follows the investment in renewables in South Africa has
government’s latest integrated resource plan, been by private companies.
which outlined Ministry of Energy targets of Eskom now has no plans for further coal
renewables reaching 26% of total generation by plants, and as well as solar and wind it is consid-
2030. ering investment in battery storage and gas-fired
At present, 80% of power in South Africa plants.
comes from coal-fired plants, many of which are Although President Cyril Ramaphosa has
up to 40-50 years old. set up a commission to advise him on climate
Eskom said it would spend ZAR61.75bn change, Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has
($4.2bn) on wind power and ZAR44.25bn expressed opposition to Eskom’s plans publicly,
($3bn) on solar by 2030, according to a report dubbing them “economic suicide” and warning
by Bloomberg. of the loss of thousands of jobs that are currently
Some of the projects are planned to be set up dependent on coal.™

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