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

A letter from the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign to the IPP Office of the Department of Energy, presenting findings from a University of Cape Town Energy Research Centre (ERC) report. The letter argues that the proposed Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations are not 'value for money', would increase system costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and would further destabilize Eskom's financial position.

• The University of Cape Town’s Energy Research Centre (ERC) report indicates that the proposed Thabametsi (557MW) and Khanyisa (300MW) coal-fired power stations would cost South Africa an additional R19.68 billion compared to a least-cost energy system.
• The coal IPPs are deemed unnecessary for meeting medium-term electricity demand because alternative sources, such as solar PV, wind, and flexible gas generation, are more economical.
• The coal IPPs are projected to increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 205.7Mt CO2eq over the 30-year duration of the power purchase agreements, which would counteract the government's GHG mitigation efforts and the Energy Efficiency Strategy to 2050.
• The ERC report suggests that building new coal plants during a period of low demand would increase pressure on Eskom by reducing the output of its existing fleet, potentially accelerating a 'utility death spiral' and risking the South African economy.

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/2018/06/LAC-letter-to-IPP-Office-re-ERC-report-_8-June-2018.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/2018/06/LAC-letter-to-IPP-Office-re-ERC-report-_8-June-2018.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=8 June 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LAC-letter-to-IPP-Office-re-ERC-report-_8-June-2018.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/2018/06/LAC-letter-to-IPP-Office-re-ERC-report-_8-June-2018.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }