South Africa is set to launch a significant power plant construction program to ensure reliable electricity supply until 2050, according to a government planning document released for public comment on December 4.
Power blackouts have plagued the country's most industrialized economy for over a decade, hindering its growth and reaching record levels last year, with outages lasting up to 10 hours a day, Reuters reported.
The latest version of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), developed by the government, examines various options to address the power deficit over the period up to 2030, and the period from 2031 to 2050.
The plan states that until 2030, the deployment of dispatchable and flexible power generation options, such as gas-to-power, needs to be accelerated, while the shutdown of coal-fired plants should be delayed, where feasible, to retain capacity.
The IRP highlights the importance of ensuring a secure power supply through a combination of nuclear power, renewables, clean coal, and gas from 2031 to 2050.
South Africa was previously considered a role model for transitioning away from polluting coal-fired power plants, which still dominate its electricity generation.
However, due to the worsening power crisis, the government is reconsidering and potentially delaying its strategy of phasing out old coal stations to maintain a stable electricity supply.
(Writing by Riley Liang Editing by Harry Huo)
For any questions, please contact us by inquiry@fwenergy.com or +86-351-7219322.