by 15 years of load-shedding . The country’s coal-fired power plants have a maintenance backlog and frequently experience unexpected technical failures.This puts South Africa at an energy crossroads where it needs well thought out policy development and implementation to make the transition possible.It sets out how electricity will be provided for South Africa between now and 2050. The government is currently considering public comments, which it needs to incorporate into the plan.
This suggests that the Integrated Resource Plan should provide a platform for South Africa to reduce its reliance on coal and diversify its sources. The state-owned electricity provider, Eskom, has been unable to meet the electricity demand through the current fleet of coal-fired power stations. In 2024, the shortfall is predicted to be overHorizon One in the plan wants to address the shortfall in electricity by delaying the shutdown of coal-fired power plants and improving them instead. However, these plants are ageing, missed out on midlife refurbishment, and are very costly to upgrade.
Although not specific on the numbers, Horizon Two of the Integrated Resource Plan acknowledges that massive investment will be required to transit to technologies such as clean coal and nuclear.