RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE

The Life After Coal Campaign urges the South African government to reject the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired IPP projects. Citing a study by the University of Cape Town's Energy Research Centre, the campaign argues that these plants are not needed to meet demand, would cost South Africa an additional R19.68 billion compared to a least-cost system, and would increase greenhouse gas emissions by 205.7Mt CO2eq over 30 years. The campaign further asserts that these projects would exacerbate Eskom's financial crisis and contradict South Africa's commitments under the Paris Agreement.

• The proposed Thabametsi (557MW) and Khanyisa (306MW) coal-fired power stations would increase total system costs by R19.68 billion compared to a least-cost energy system.
• The coal IPPs are unnecessary for meeting medium-term electricity demand because wind, solar PV, and flexible gas generation are more economical alternatives.
• Over the 30-year period of their power purchase agreements, the coal IPPs would increase greenhouse gas emissions by 205.7Mt CO2eq, potentially negating the government's Energy Efficiency Strategy to 2050 and frustrating commitments under the Paris Agreement.
• Commissioning these plants during a period of low demand would increase pressure on Eskom, potentially accelerating a 'utility death spiral' and increasing the risk to the South African economy by reducing the output of Eskom's existing, cheaper coal fleet.
• The proposed plants are highly emission-intensive, with an intensity nearly 60% higher than that of Eskom's Medupi and Kusile stations, and would cause irreversible impacts on water and air quality.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LAC-letter-to-DPE-re-ERC-report-15-June-2016.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LAC-letter-to-DPE-re-ERC-report-15-June-2016.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE |date=15 June 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LAC-letter-to-DPE-re-ERC-report-15-June-2016.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018relevant, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COAL IPPS – A STUDY BY THE ENERGY RESEARCH CENTRE}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LAC-letter-to-DPE-re-ERC-report-15-June-2016.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }