TechCentralTechCentral
    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentral TechCentral
    NEWSLETTER
    • News

      ANC puts spectrum trading firmly back on the table

      25 May 2022

      Reunert hikes dividend in tough market

      25 May 2022

      Everything PC S01E03 – ‘The story of Intel – part 1’

      25 May 2022

      Management shake-up at TymeBank – including a new CEO

      24 May 2022

      Standard Bank CEO apologises for weekend downtime

      24 May 2022
    • World

      Big Tech’s latest dive snuffs out hopes the worst is over

      25 May 2022

      iPhone 14 development schedule delayed by China lockdowns: report

      25 May 2022

      Tesla shares continue to plunge

      25 May 2022

      Terra collapse triggers $83-billion DeFi slump

      24 May 2022

      Zuckerberg sued in personal capacity over Cambridge Analytica

      24 May 2022
    • In-depth

      Bernie Fanaroff – the scientist who put African astronomy on the map

      23 May 2022

      Chip giant ASML places big bets on a tiny future

      20 May 2022

      Elon Musk is becoming like Henry Ford – and that’s not a good thing

      17 May 2022

      Stablecoins wend wobbly way into the unknown

      17 May 2022

      The standard model of particle physics may be broken

      11 May 2022
    • Podcasts

      The rewarding and lucrative careers to be had in infosec

      23 May 2022

      Dean Broadley on why product design at Yoco is an evolving art

      18 May 2022

      Everything PC S01E02 – ‘AMD: Ryzen from the dead – part 2’

      17 May 2022

      Everything PC S01E01 – ‘AMD: Ryzen from the dead – part 1’

      10 May 2022

      Llew Claasen on how exchange controls are harming SA tech start-ups

      2 May 2022
    • Opinion

      A proposed solution to crypto’s stablecoin problem

      19 May 2022

      From spectrum to roads, why fixing SA’s problems is an uphill battle

      19 April 2022

      How AI is being deployed in the fight against cybercriminals

      8 April 2022

      Cash is still king … but not for much longer

      31 March 2022

      Icasa on the role of TV white spaces and dynamic spectrum access

      31 March 2022
    • Company Hubs
      • 1-grid
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Amplitude
      • Atvance Intellect
      • Axiz
      • BOATech
      • CallMiner
      • Digital Generation
      • E4
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • IBM
      • Kyocera Document Solutions
      • Microsoft
      • Nutanix
      • One Trust
      • Pinnacle
      • Skybox Security
      • SkyWire
      • Tarsus on Demand
      • Videri Digital
      • Zendesk
    • Sections
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud computing
      • Consumer electronics
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Energy
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Motoring and transport
      • Public sector
      • Science
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home»Sections»Energy»South Africa urges careful planning for end of coal

    South Africa urges careful planning for end of coal

    Energy By Antony Squazzin18 November 2021
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email

    The energy department has said it will start preparing for the end of coal-for-power use in the country but cautioned that a retreat from the dirtiest fossil fuel must take account of the impact on the economy and the people who depend on it for a living.

    In a presentation to a small group of business, government and research representatives on 15 November, the department said it plans to set up a Just Energy Transition unit to help deliver an outcome “which delivers social justice”, according to a copy of it seen by Bloomberg. While the department declined to immediately comment on the presentation, four people with knowledge of it confirmed its veracity.

    The presentation may mark a shift from the rhetoric of Gwede Mantashe, the energy minister, who has repeatedly said South Africa should continue to exploit its coal resources and not be dictated to by developed countries who are urging it to reduce climate warming emissions. Mantashe’s comments have been at odds with those of environment minister Barbara Creecy and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    The global phase-out of coal has started and will happen at different scale and pace

    The presentation also comes after it was announced this month at the Cop26 climate negotiations in Glasgow that the US, UK, Germany, France and the European Union had offered South Africa US$8.5-billion in concessional loans and grants to transition from coal. South Africa relies on the fuel for about 80% of its power and is the world’s 12th biggest source of greenhouse gases.

    “The global phase-out of coal has started and will happen at different scale and pace,” the department said in the presentation. “The transition will be disruptive – needs to be carefully managed and coordinated.”

    The department acknowledged that financial institutions have become reluctant to finance coal projects and acknowledged “the real possibility of stranded fossil fuel assets and ghost towns”.

    New coal stations

    It spoke of the need to protect energy security and provide measures such as training so as not to exacerbate poverty and unemployment in coal-dependent areas.

    Still, the department said the country’s existing energy policy, which includes 1.5GW of new coal-generation capacity, should be implemented.

    It also suggested that the viability of retrofitting coal-fired plants run by Eskom with nuclear reactors be assessed. Eskom has proposed using the site of the plants to generate power from gas or renewable sources such as solar.  — (c) 2021 Bloomberg LP

    Cyril Ramaphosa Eskom Gwede Mantashe
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleHow to buy cryptocurrency safely in South Africa
    Next Article Bill Gates says Covid deaths could drop to flu levels by mid-2022

    Related Posts

    ANC puts spectrum trading firmly back on the table

    25 May 2022

    Reunert hikes dividend in tough market

    25 May 2022

    Fortinet’s FortiNDR accelerates threat detection with advanced AI

    25 May 2022
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Promoted

    Fortinet’s FortiNDR accelerates threat detection with advanced AI

    25 May 2022

    Collaborative problem solving sets our partners on a growth path

    25 May 2022

    You are the weakest link: how to stop the costliest Internet scam

    25 May 2022
    Opinion

    A proposed solution to crypto’s stablecoin problem

    19 May 2022

    From spectrum to roads, why fixing SA’s problems is an uphill battle

    19 April 2022

    How AI is being deployed in the fight against cybercriminals

    8 April 2022

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2022 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.