Page 9 - AfrElec Week 28 2022

AfrElec POLICY AfrElec

New coal power plants undermine

South Africa’s green ambitions

SOUTH AFRICA THE continued operation of two giant coal-fired expected in 2073.
power plants in South Africa runs counter to the But decommissioning both plants early or
country’s commitment to drastically reduce halting work on the last units at Kusile two years
its carbon emissions, environmentalists told ahead of schedule, the news agency reports,
Bloomberg. would worsen Eskom’s financial position. The
Africa’s most industrialised economy is the utility is struggling under $24bn of debt it can-
world’s 13th biggest carbon emitter. Its electric- not pay.
ity utility Eskom operates 15 coal-fired plants, “Most of the work is done,” and Kusile’s lim-
which account for up to 80% of the country’s ited output is already benefiting the country,
output of about 45,000 MW. said Zandi Shange, Eskom’s general manager
Of the 15 facilities, two – Medupi and Kus- for projects.
ile – are new. Construction of Medupi, with a South Africa announced at the COP26 cli-
capacity to generate 4,800 MW, was finished in mate talks in Glasgow, Scotland in November
2021, while Kusile, with the same capacity, is still 2021 that the US, UK, Germany, France and the
under construction. European Union had agreed to secure $8.5bn to
Greenpeace says their continued operation help the country move away from fossil fuels.
will be a major impediment to South Africa South Africa’s 2019 energy blueprint –
meeting its commitment to eliminating green- which is currently under review – foresees coal
house gas (GHG) emissions on a net basis by accounting for 59% of national power output by
2050, according to Bloomberg on July 8. 2030, down from more than 80%. About 18 GW
“It absolutely doesn’t make any sense to invest of Eskom’s older coal capacity will be shut down
in mega coal-fired power stations in the face of by 2035, with Kusile and Medupi expected to be
a climate crisis when we should be focusing on producing beyond that date.
a just transition to renewable energy,” said Mel- The government has taken measures to stim-
ita Steele, interim programme director for the ulate investment in renewables but, Bloomberg
green campaigner. says, development has been marred by delays
South Africa has been plagued by frequent, and legal battles. A government agency says
prolonged blackouts since 2008 due to unreli- more than three times the amount of renewable
ability of its older coal capacity, rising demand power generating capacity will need to be devel-
and vandalism of its transmission and distribu- oped to replace retired coal plants.
tion infrastructure. “We continue to maintain that Kusile
Medupi and Kusile were approved in 2007 and shouldn’t be completed and if it is finalised, it
were scheduled to be completed within eight absolutely can’t run for its expected lifespan,”
years at a total cost of $10bn. Kusile, Bloomberg Steele said. “We really need to be including these
estimates, will burn as much as 15mn tonnes new coal-fired power stations in plans to phase
per year (tpy) of coal until its decommissioning, out coal.”™

Week 28 14•July•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9