Coal Under Fire…

South Africa’s coal industry is said to be the world’s fifth largest, employing 90,000 miners, generating 80% of the country’s electricity, and suppling the feedstock for about a quarter of the country’s liquid fuel for vehicles. However, during The Honourable Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Mr Gwede Mantashe (MP), Keynote Address, protester’s from Greenpeace Africa decided it was an opportune moment to highlight their concerns around coal use

Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaigner Thandile Chinyavanhu said, “Coal is a dangerous deadend pushing South Africa to the brink of destruction, yet almost all of South Africa’s electricity comes from an ancient fleet of coal-fired power stations which are literally falling apart, breaking down more quickly than they can be fixed”

The Minister in his speech amongst other matters was clear and pointed out that “Differences about the pace, scale and how to balance the transition will always exist, however, as African leaders, we are duty bound to act with determination to resolve the intricate problems that beset our continent without the encirclement pressure to please others first”

The protesters on the other hand, however, may remind us of their resistance to further coal use and roll-out in face of the current regional destruction meted out by Tropical Storm Freddy. Tropical Storm Freddy has ripped through Southern Africa for the second time in a month [12 March 2023], leaving a trail of destruction and death in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi Freddy is stated to be one of the strongest storms recorded to date in the southern hemisphere.

We can only assume then that the Minister is informed in part by Government policy and on the other by such reports as the South African Coal Sector Report which outlines that “the South African government through the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has expressed a commitment to reducing CO2 emissions by 34% by 2020 and 42% by 2025”.

A Just Energy Transition (JET) will be the way forward. The question, therefore, is the speed at which it takes place and who pays the additional burden for moving quickly? As always, the conversation continues briefing@rdjpublishing.africa

Reading: https://www gov za/speeches/minister-gwede-mantasheafrica-energy-indaba-7-mar-2023-0000 https://www dailymaverick co za/wpcontent/uploads/2023/03/11356553.jpg?resize=1536,1024 https://www energy gov za/files/media/explained/southafrican-coal-sector-report.pdf https://www reuters com/world/africa/south-african-courtorders-government-clean-up-air-coal-belt-2022-03-18/ https://blogs worldbank org/opendata/declining-coal-pricesreflect-reshaping-global-energytrade#: :text=Both%20coal%20prices%20and%20demand,in% 202023%20compared%20to%202022