The IRP2010 proposes that the energy be diversified and comprise 48% of the baseload power generated by coal, 16% by renewable energy, 9% from peaking open-cycle gas turbine power, 6% by pump storage generation, 5% by mid-merit gas power, and 2% by baseload import hydropower. This is to be supported by an average gross domestic growth of 4.6% over the next 20 years, and would require 52,248 MW of new power generation capacity to be added to the grid.
The total wind power generation capacity would amount to 4,500 MW by 2019, while solar power is expected to contribute 600 MW. Accordingly, the DoE expects that between 2019 and 2030 that a further 7,200 MW of renewable energy would be added. However, in order to hit all of these goals, the Department said that a number of decisions needed to be made this year – including Eskom’s commitment to its current build program and the conclusion of the first phase of the renewable energy feed-in tariff.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Energy, which approved the draft IRP2010 for public release, has requested the technical IRP2010 team to conduct further work in terms of carbon capture and storage on all future coal-fired power stations and in terms of the allocation of renewable energy technologies.
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