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 South Africa's Minister of Energy, urging the reconsideration of two coal Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects, Thabametsi and Khanyisa, based on a study by the University of Cape Town’s Energy Research Centre (ERC).

• The University of Cape Town’s Energy Research Centre (ERC) report indicates that the 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 South Africa's medium-term electricity demand because alternative sources, such as solar, wind, and flexible gas generation, are more economical.
• The two 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 undermine the government's GHG mitigation plans, the Energy Efficiency Strategy to 2050, and commitments under the Paris Agreement.
• The ERC report suggests that building new coal plants during a period of low demand increases pressure on Eskom by reducing the output of its existing fleet, potentially accelerating a 'utility death spiral' and risking the South African economy.
• The Life After Coal Campaign asserts that the coal IPP projects are financially and environmentally harmful, noting that the coal IPP price of R1.03 per kilowatt hour is significantly more expensive than recent renewable IPPs and that the plants' emission intensity is nearly 60% higher than Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile plants.

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-Min-Radebe-re-ERC-report_4-June-2018.docx.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-Min-Radebe-re-ERC-report_4-June-2018.docx.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=4 June 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LAC-letter-to-Min-Radebe-re-ERC-report_4-June-2018.docx.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-Min-Radebe-re-ERC-report_4-June-2018.docx.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }