South Africa will soon reduce dependency on coal for its power generation for clean energy the country’s Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown has said.
Addressing the Power-Gen & DistribuTech Africa Conference in Johannesburg, Brown said South Africa will soon unveil a new Integrated Resource Plan which will clearly articulate what the government intends to do and how.
“We know that the plan will require us to move away from our dependency on coal to embrace a new energy mix derived from coal, gas, nuclear and renewable resources… Eskom is already busy with projects aimed at reducing air pollution from its coal-powered stations, and offsetting emissions,” said Brown.
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As one of the signatory to international bodies like the Paris Agreement of 2016, South Africa is bound to reduce emission.
“Electricity is the cornerstone of any economy; without it, there can be no industry, little development and only stunted growth. South Africa and Eskom, which is among the world’s largest power utilities, stand ready to collaborate with the rest of the continent and the world to address common continental and global challenges,” she added.
Like other countries in the South, South Africa are victims of the climate change created by the countries in the North and are working hard for more equitable and sustainable solutions, Brown said.
“Networking and information-sharing exercises such as this conference present rare opportunities for the cream of the continents thought leaders to plot a collective trajectory to a lighter future. A future in which we have overcome Africa’s infrastructure deficit,” said the minister.
The Power-Gen & DistribuTech Africa Conference in Johannesburg brings together senior officials in the continent and abroad are meeting to improve the electricity provision and use of cleaner energy. The event will end on July 20, 1017.
Coal continues to be a major component in South Africa’s energy mix, and with a major source of employment in the country it remains to be seen how the country intends to drop it dependency.