Long-term energy plan welcomed

21 November 2016  

The FF Plus welcomes the announcement that the nuclear build program has been delayed to the long term in terms of the newly announced integrated resources plan, Dr. Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus, said.

Dr. Groenewald says the decision reflects the reality that South Africa simply does not have the money to afford such a luxury, and it will have to be considered in future whether we have the funds to build nuclear plants.

He said the FF Plus also welcomes the proposal that an additional 37 400 megawatt will be obtained through wind, 17 600 megawatts from solar plants and 35 292 megawatts from gas.

“The fact that long-term planning is being done and these estimations are being done for 2050, shows that government has learnt its lesson with load shedding, which South Africa had to endure after Eskom had put a plan on the table in 1998 for 2007, and the former deputy president at the time, Thabo Mbeki, had wiped it off the table.

“It proves that when proper planning is done, enough power can be supplied to help the economy to grow. A further pleasing aspect is the bigger emphasis which is being placed on renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar energy,” Dr. Groenewald said.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus Leader, 21 November 2016