ELECTRICITY GENERATION
Renewables must line up for energy race and show competitive spirit
Cost will always be a factor in determining SA’s power mix — nuclear needs to be given a run for its money
The announcement by Energy Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi that the nuclear build programme is still on the table and the fact that previous international agreements will be renegotiated according to due legal process is at the centre of intense public discourse. However, this focus is fast being overtaken as support for renewables gains momentum and the least-cost scenario (no nuclear) gets qualified support. The outcome of the Integrated Resource Plan 2016 detailing the forward supply-demand balance is pending after further written submissions. We await the results of the adjudication and number-crunching of the final mix of different technologies and their respective market share requirements. Although it is generally accepted that electricity will be decarbonised, the intense debate on the way forward as a mix of renewable and nuclear has gained momentum, with much diverse opinion among the proponents for the technologies. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR’s) ...
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