The members of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy were briefed by Minister Gwede Mantashe on the Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP 2019), which includes among other things, the nine key actions to be taken by the department as part of the IRP 2019. The key actions are in the form of decisions.
On decision 8, Minister Mantashe briefed the committee that his department needs to commence preparations for a nuclear build programme to provide 2 500 megawatts, at a pace and scale that the country can afford. He said that this programme is a no-regret option for the long term.
Minister Mantashe further explained that Koeberg, the country’s only nuclear power station with a generation capacity of 1 860 megawatts, will shut down temporarily in 2024 in line with its 40-year end of design life of plant. The temporary shutdown will allow construction work to take place that will allow the plant to operate for 20 more years.
The members of the committee appreciated the IRP 2019 as a long-overdue strategic document needed to provide a plan for the country’s future electricity generation. The IRP is a legal instrument contemplated under the Electricity Regulation Act. The first plan for the country was referred to as the IRP 2010 and was promulgated in 2011.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, said that economic growth and stability with job creation objectives should be placed at the centre of government plans.
“Long-term plans usually requires a huge capital investment and our view is that such investment should result in economic growth and job creation. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy should come back to brief the committee on the international projects, including, among others, the Grand Inga Hydropower and South Sudan Oil prospecting,” said Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, the Chairperson of the committee.
The IRP 2019 further makes observations on factors that could affect the stability of South Africa’s energy supply, including shutting down of the three non-performing units at Hendrina, Komati and Grootvlei. It also says that the continued underperformance of Medupi and Kusile units in Lephalale, Limpopo, exacerbate the load-shedding risk.
Last week, the committee was briefed by the department on the Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP), whose purpose is to manage electrification planning, funding and implementation processes with the aim of addressing the electrification backlog. It started in 1991 when Eskom was responsible for managing and monitoring the electrification process.
The INEP is a government initiative to provide capital subsidies to municipalities to address the electrification backlog of permanently occupied residential dwellings.
Justice Molafo
29 October 2019
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