Mantashe seeks to extend life of coal-fired power stations
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has called on the private sector to “please . . . come talk to us” if they have any ideas on extending the life of South Africa’s fleet of coal-fired power stations.
“There are many that have been earmarked for decommissioning because they are near the end of their life, but there is a view that is growing in Cabinet that many of them must have their life extended.”
Opening the African Energy Week 2023 panel discussion on South Africa, Mantashe added that it was also “a hot debate” whether to reverse the decommissioning of the Komati coal-fired power station, which he regarded as something that had happened prematurely.
Mantashe was equally bullish about gas, noting that there were “gas discoveries everywhere”, including shale gas in the Karoo. The latter was, however, the subject of a multiyear moratorium on exploration.
He noted that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment “must give us regulations; we have not had that. The moment we have that, we’ll remove that moratorium and allow people to apply for those exploration permits”.
Mantashe also confirmed that government remained keen on nuclear power, and that it would seek to procure 2 500 MW of additional nuclear power.
Mantashe jokingly proclaimed himself as the ‘King of Coal’ when welcomed at a coal panel discussion during an earlier session.
Comments
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Immersive Technologies is the world's largest, proven and tested supplier of simulator training solutions to the global resources industry.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Weir is a global leader in mining technology. We recognise that our planet’s future depends on the transition to renewable energy, and that...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
