The investment plan, which Eskom could carry out by itself or in partnerships, is the most detailed demonstration yet of the utility’s ambition to move away from coal by taking advantage of the nation’s abundant wind and solar resources.
Eskom envisages spending R61.75bn on wind power and R44.25bn on solar energy by the end of the decade, a company presentation shows.Eskom, which supplies almost all SA’s electricity from coal-fired power plants, is considering spending R106bn on wind and solar energy by 2030.The state-owned company envisages spending R61.75bn on wind power and R44.25bn on solar energy by the end of the decade, a company presentation seen by Bloomberg shows.
While President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a commission to advise him on climate change, Eskom’s plans have been publicly opposed by Gwede Mantashe, his energy minister, who says such a transition could eliminate thousands of coal-dependent jobs. In the first phase, which would span from 2022 to 2023, 246 megawatts of photovoltaic solar power could be built at the Arnot, Duvha, Lethabo, Majuba and Tutuka coal-fired power plants. A further 100 megawatts of solar-generation capacity could be built at Komati, the first of the ageing power plants slated to close, and 19.5 megawatts of solar power at the site of the Sere windpower plant.
The third phase envisages the building of a further 2,950 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity between 2025 and 2030 as well as 3,100 megawatts of wind power.
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