Coal Power Plants Are Being Shut Down And Replaced With Renewables

2 min read

In South Africa, 8 coal power stations are set to be decommissioned by 2030 with more expected to meet the same fate in 2050. Last year, Eskom decommissioned one of its coal power plants, Komati Power Station in Mpumalanga after the power station had reached the end of its life.

In South Africa, coal power plants are designed to have a life span of about 50 years. That would mean that Eskom would have to decommission another 7 coal power plants in the next 10 years. 

People in the Mpumalanga communities where coal mines and coal power plants are centred are concerned about the speed at which renewable energy is being rolled out. They want assurance from the government that they will still have jobs when wind and solar take over. However, government argues that the most important thing is taking care of the energy crisis that the country is currently facing. They also say that more investment in our energy sources is needed, particularly in renewables such as wind, solar and nuclear energy. Mpumalanga is home to 10 of Eskom’s 14 remaining coal power stations.

However, electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa did announce earlier this year that Eskom would delay these coal power plant closures as it struggles to generate enough electricity to meet demand. Delaying the closures is meant to buy the power utility time to get more renewable energy online to replace the would be lost coal power generation capacity.

This delay is being implemented even though first world countries and regions such as Germany, France, the UK, US, Canada and the EU are sponsoring South Africa’s shift to renewable energy in the form of loans, grants and debt guarantees.

Despite taking a step backwards in decarbonising through renewable energy, South Africa has taken a step forward in reducing carbon emissions. The Council for Geoscience (CGS) is starting a research project for piloting Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) in Mpumalanga. The carbon that will be captured in the air will be stored about 1,5 km underground.

The closure of coal power plants is a worldwide challenge. In 2021, climate think tank TransitionZero revealed that the world would need to shut down nearly 3 000 coal power plants by 2030 to meet climate goals.

In Australia, the closure of coal power plants and the opening of offshore wind farms are being met with opposition from citizens and farmers. This is due to the transmission lines needed to transport electricity from the power plants to urban areas, having to cross over private properties.

The people also argue that renewable energy alone cannot meet energy demands, thus making the case for closing coal power plants redundant. This has put the implementation of some renewable energy plants on hold, which has led to the government giving households rooftop solar incentives to soften the blow.

What do you think of the closure of coal power plants? Is it too early or has it been a long time coming? Share your thoughts by replying to this email!

For more information on fossil fuel power plants being replaced by renewable energy, or any other energy related articles, view the blog posts on my website and be sure to open my weekly emails every Tuesday at 9AM CAT.

Get your load shedding schedules here: Municipal Loadshedding schedules - Distribution (eskom.co.za)

Latest fuel prices: Fuel Pricing - AA

Interesting Updates

Karpowership cuts off Guinea-Bissau's electricity

 World’s first off-road solar vehicle built by students completes 1 000 km test-drive

Preparations for the world's largest offshore wind turbine