Eskom boss Brian Molefe Picture: Timothy Bernard Eskom boss Brian Molefe Picture: Timothy Bernard
Eskom claims it's backtracking on plans to close five coal-powered stations is to ensure job security for its employees and miners.
This despite Eskom confirming in March that it would expedite plans to close power stations in Mpumalanga, including the Arnot, Duvha and Komati power stations, in order to accommodate renewable independent power producers (IPPs).
However, Brian Molefe, immediately on his return as chief executive on Monday, ordered Eskom not to close down power stations in Mpumalanga.
The South African Renewable Energy Council (Sarec) says that coal plants have a limited life, as do the mines that feed them.
Eskom’s generation licence required these plants to be decommissioned as they reach the end of their design life and became too expensive to operate and maintain, the council said.
“Reduced coal consumption has been part of the government’s stated policy since at least 2009 when in Copenhagen President Zuma pledged to slash the country’s polluting greenhouse gas emissions by 34% below business-as-usual levels by 2020, and by 42% by 2025,” said Sarec chairperson Brenda Martin.
Eskom said that after consultation with the Department of Public Enterprises and other stakeholders, it had decided to revert to its initial position of extending the lives of its ageing power generating fleet. This move would ensure that the jobs of Eskom employees and miners would be secured, the parastatal said.
Eskom said it supported the role that the renewable energy projects played, and had already signed 64 power purchase agreements with the projects that had been approved by the Department of Energy.
“Recently the minister of energy indicated that the way forward on the IPPs will be thrashed out at a meeting between her department, National Treasury and the Department of Public Enterprises,” the utility said.
lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za