No nuclear until 2030
ENERGY Minister Jeff Radebe yesterday confirmed that there were no plans to increase the use of nuclear energy up until the year 2030.
“The integrated resource plan (IRP) looks towards the year 2050, but towards year 2030 there is no envisaged increase in terms of nuclear,” Radebe said when briefing the media.
He made the statement when he released the long-awaited IRP report that was published in the government gazette for comment for 60 days.
Radebe said a number of assumptions used in the IRP 2010 have since changed or not materialised.
“The electricity demand on the grid continues to decline on an annual basis and we are currently sitting at volumes similar to those of the year 2007.
“For the financial year ending March 2018 the actual total electricity consumed is about 30% less than what was projected in the IRP 2010,” he said.
Radebe said the review of the IRP indicated a significant change in the energy mix post2030, which was mainly driven by decommissioning of old coal power plants that had reached the end of their lives.
The draft IRP envisages an energy mix by 2030 consisting of 34 000 megawatts coal; 1860 megawatts nuclear, 4696 megawatts hydropower; 2912 megawatts pump storage; 7 958 megawatts photovoltaic; 11 442 megawatts wind; 600 megawatts concentrated solar power and 11930 megawatts gas.
Radebe appealed to the public and the stakeholders to engage with the report.
“A “just transition” requires that we while we move with speed to respond to the changing landscape, we take calculated steps to ensure we leave no one behind,” he said.
“We urge you not to wait for the 60 days but to provide us with your written comments and proposals, with supporting data or evidence where possible, as soon as you have them ready, to help minimise the time to finalise the IRP and therefore create policy certainty.”
Gavin Davis of the DA welcomed the gazetting of the IRP, saying it was a policy shift away from building new nuclear power plants.
“This IRP confirms that former president Jacob Zuma’s corrupt nuclear deal has been shut down in favour of cheaper, cleaner sources of energy.
“Minister Radebe and President Ramaphosa deserve credit for taking on the Zuma faction and winning,” Davis said.
He insisted that the country had never needed new nuclear plants, and did not have money to build them.
“On this score, the new draft IRP is a substantial improvement on the old one,” Davis said.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) also welcomed the draft IRP, which it said not only shelved the nuclear deal, but paved the way for renewable energy.
“Although there are some scenarios outlined to 2050, the lack of a clear long-term vision reduces South Africa to “firefighting” solutions,” said Outa’s portfolio manager for energy, Ronald Chauke said.