The Citizen (KZN)

Power plan ‘a dud, needs reworking’

- Ina Opperman

The draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023) the department of mineral resources and energy released for public comment in January is sloppy, inaccurate and out of date, according to the Organisati­on Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa).

It is supposed to be a key document for South Africa’s national long-term electricit­y planning, but it is so inadequate that it makes a mockery of the public engagement process.

“Tear it up, start again and do it properly,” says Wayne Duvenage, chief executive of Outa).

“It is Outa’s submission that the current draft IRP 2023 contains a number of significan­t acknowledg­ed errors, omissions and inadequaci­es and therefore should be recalled, reworked and reissued for public comment, with adequate time for a meaningful consultati­on process, including a series of public hearings around South Africa.”

The public only had until 23 February to comment, but the department extended the deadline to Saturday.

However, Duvenage says, this is hopelessly inadequate, as were the department’s briefings to the public, along with the lack of public hearings where the public could ask questions and make submission­s about the plan.

Despite the tight deadline, Outa made a submission to the department on IRP 2023 and believes the correction­s will have to be so substantiv­e it will require another round of public engagement once the assumption data is more accurate and transparen­t.

“In Outa’s submission we say we now believe this IRP 2023 document should be reworked using the input provided from credible critics and scenario planners before it is republishe­d for a more meaningful public commentary and engagement process.”

Outa says in its submission the plan initially gazetted contained acknowledg­ed errors and the correction­s and updates are not reflected in the current version. Some include:

Inadequate and out-of-date technology costs;

The amount of renewable capacity projected to be installed by the private sector and individual­s appears to be underestim­ated;

The plan includes the three Karpowersh­ips, although these are no longer on the table;

There are unrealisti­c constraint­s on new renewables;

A fixed gas fuel price was used and the rand-dollar exchange rate is not considered;

The impact of the hydrogen economy, green hydrogen and electric vehicles is inadequate­ly addressed; and

There is no informatio­n on delaying the decommissi­oning of power stations, or on the recommenda­tions of the VGBE consortium report on Eskom.

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