MPs push for SA to reduce coal use
Volume: Volume 2, Issue 2 |  Monday, 21 February 2011 |  Donwald Pressly  |  0 comment

Bruno D Rodrigues

Top energy department officials, reporting to Parliament on a revised integrated resources plan (IRP) this week, faced pressure from MPs for South Africa to cut dependence on coal-fired power stations and look at expanding clean energy, power saving and the nuclear fuel slice of the electricity production mix.

DA MP David Ross, who recently visited the French nuclear company Areva, reported to the portfolio committee on energy chaired by ANC MP Sisa Njikelana that the French company was “just a phone call away” from being able to install six nuclear power plants in South Africa.

ID MP Lance Greyling said South Africa could greatly increase its energy savings target over 20 years, from an annual 3 400 megawatt-hours to 10 000 megawatt-hours.

This would remove the need to build multibillion-rand projects such as the coal-fired Kusile and Medupi power stations.

However, painting various scenarios for the IRP, the deputy director-general for electricity, nuclear and clean energy, Ompi Aphane, played down the notion that South Africa was set to “shut down” the use of coal to produce electricity.

He and director general Nelisiwe Magubane argued in favour of a balanced approach. It was envisaged that by 2030 about half of the mix would be drawn from coal with renewable energy at 16 percent and nuclear at some 14 percent. The balance would be drawn from hydroelectricity, gas and other sources.

The IRP is a 20-year plan for the expansion of the electricity supply which needs to ensure adequacy of supply, support a manufacturing base, retain the country’s competitive position globally and ensure sustainable use of local resources.

Aphane argued that economic, social and environmental concerns needed to be balances although there could not be a focus on affordable electricity “at the expense of climate change”. At the same time, South Africa could not sacrifice employment for climate change commitments that “developed nations are loath to make”.

Noting that 81 submissions had been received at public hearings, Aphane said most respondents called for a low-carbon economy and “for a thrust” on renewable energy, with some arguing that the latter should constitute as much as 75 percent of energy supplied by 2050. Many respondents strongly opposed nuclear and coal as energy solutions.

Responding to Greyling, Aphane acknowledged that South Africa was not an energy efficient country, indicating that savings could amount to up to 30 percent of consumption, but savings were not a limitless “power generation option”.