South Africa’s cabinet has approved an updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a roadmap for the country’s energy development over the next 25 years.
This plan outlines how the government will tackle the ongoing energy crisis, according to Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in a virtual briefing held on Sunday.
The IRP will be released for public comment by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, though a specific date has not yet been announced.
The plan is divided into two timeframes: one covering the period until 2030 and another focusing on the years between 2030 and 2050.
The first timeframe aims to address the current energy deficit by reassessing the schedule for decommissioning power plants, Ramokgopa explained.
This decision follows the ruling African National Congress’s April approval to prolong the lifespan of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s coal-fired plants slated for closure, a move intended to alleviate the record power outages crippling the nation’s economic growth.
The IRP’s second timeframe emphasizes renewable energy and its integration with the national transmission infrastructure.
The Presidential Climate Commission had previously recommended an IRP revision incorporating 50-60 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.
The details of the updated IRP and its specific renewable energy targets are expected to be unveiled alongside its release for public comment.