It is still possible for SA to meet the goals set out in its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and delay decommissioning of Eskom coal-powered stations, forestry, fisheries & the environment minister Barbara Creecy said in parliament Tuesday.
She told members of the National Council of Provinces in a question-and-answer session that within its commitments there was room for SA to reconsider some decommissioning schedules that might be occurring this year or next year. This was justified in the context of the load-shedding crisis.
Creecy insisted that SA’s NDC commitments did not require decommissioning “right now” of some units of coal-power stations such as Camden.
Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has proposed to the cabinet that investments should be made in Eskom’s ageing power stations to extend their lifespan to address the load-shedding crisis that is harming the economy and disrupting the lives of citizens.
His view sparked controversy. Some say available funds should be invested in renewable energy.
There has also been concern that extending the lifespan of coal-fired power stations would jeopardise the commitment of $8.5bn by developed states for SA’s just energy transition (JET).
But Creecy insisted that “the process of re-examining our time frames [for decommissioning] is not a reversal of our position on the just energy transition. Any decision on decommissioning will be informed by a detailed technical assessment of the feasibility of continuing to operate older plants. It will also be informed by the time frame in which we can expect new capacity from other energy sources that impact on our decarbonisation trajectory to come on stream.”
The minister said that the Treasury was undertaking a modelling exercise to look at the state of SA’s power stations and what it would cost to fix them. The modelling must include the question of how to meet SA’s NDC commitments and the air pollution implications of these decisions on the decommissioning of coal-fired plants, she said.
The modelling would also have to look at the implications of a delay in decommissioning for the JET money, which was intended for the repurposing of old coal-fired power stations.
SA’s updated NDC target ranges from 398-million to 510-million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025 and from 350-million to 420-million tonnes CO2 in 2030. NDCs are targets set by countries for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Creecy reiterated an April statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that SA remains committed to reduce its carbon emissions by 2030 to within the target range, but that to limit load-shedding it might be necessary to revisit its decommissioning schedule.
She said that the present legal framework provided that power stations that will decommission by 2030 do not have to comply with the 2020 minimum emissions standards. But if they continue beyond 2030 they will have to introduce the required abatement technology so that they comply.
These stations are required to comply only with the 2015 minimum emissions standards, which relate to sulphates and nitrates released from the burning of coal and are not primarily related to greenhouse gas emissions. The minimum standards and greenhouse gas emissions are different.
Mineral resources & energy minister Gwede Mantashe also replied to questions on implementation of the 2022 energy action plan, which he said was the responsibility of Ramokgopa, who is responsible for ending load-shedding. He insisted that he and Ramokgopa were working together and there was no fight between them.
Mantashe also stressed SA needed renewables for a long-term, sustainable energy supply, but to address load-shedding the focus should be each power station’s energy availability factor. Energy also had to be imported from neighbouring countries.
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