GREENPEACE AFRICA SUBMISSION ON THE DRAFT INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) 2018 UPDATE

Greenpeace Africa argues that the draft IRP 2018 Update is inadequate for achieving a just transition to renewable energy and fails to meet South Africa's international climate commitments. The submission calls for the total removal of new coal and nuclear capacity, the elimination of artificial caps on wind and solar energy, and an accelerated decommissioning of coal-fired power stations. It highlights severe air pollution in Mpumalanga and the critical need to prioritize water security in energy planning. The document emphasizes that the plan must be based on the latest IPCC science to limit global warming to 1.5°C and should incorporate transparent data on costs and demand-side management.

• The draft IRP 2018 is insufficient to meet South Africa's economy-wide emissions targets and fails to incorporate the latest IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C. To align with climate science, South Africa should reduce its coal capacity in the electricity plan to 19,500 MW by 2030, rather than the 34,000 MW currently proposed.
• Artificial constraints on renewable energy, specifically annual build limits of 1.6 GW for wind and 1 GW for solar, must be removed to achieve a cost-optimised electricity solution. These limits are described as irrational given the falling costs of these technologies and successful higher installation rates in countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan.
• Satellite data analysis identifies Mpumalanga as the world's largest NO2 pollution hotspot, indicating that South Africa possesses the most polluting cluster of coal-fired power stations globally. This pollution regularly affects approximately 8 million people in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
• Eskom's failure to comply with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) necessitates an accelerated decommissioning schedule for coal-fired power stations. The draft IRP's assumption of a standard 50-year lifespan for these plants is considered inaccurate.
• Energy planning must prioritize water security due to South Africa's status as a water-scarce country. Coal-fired power generation is highlighted as unsustainable, with Eskom using approximately 10,000 litres of water per second to operate its coal fleet.
• New nuclear investments are deemed unaffordable and risky due to high probabilities of cost overruns. While the draft IRP delays nuclear decisions until 2030, Greenpeace Africa argues it should be removed as an option entirely.
• The draft IRP lacks transparency and an explicit analysis of demand-side management (DSM), missing significant cost-effective potential in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
• The inclusion of 1,000 MW of new coal (specifically Thabametsi and Khanyisa) and the completion of Kusile units 5 and 6 are viewed as irrational and likely to result in stranded assets.
• The proposed 2.5 GW of hydropower from the Grand Inga project in the DRC is criticized as unlikely to be delivered and potentially less competitive than domestic solar and wind options.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). GREENPEACE AFRICA SUBMISSION ON THE DRAFT INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) 2018 UPDATE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/FINAL_Greenpeace-Africa_IRP-2018-submission.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. GREENPEACE AFRICA SUBMISSION ON THE DRAFT INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) 2018 UPDATE. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/FINAL_Greenpeace-Africa_IRP-2018-submission.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=GREENPEACE AFRICA SUBMISSION ON THE DRAFT INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) 2018 UPDATE |date=2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/FINAL_Greenpeace-Africa_IRP-2018-submission.pdf?x21779 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018greenpeace, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{GREENPEACE AFRICA SUBMISSION ON THE DRAFT INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) 2018 UPDATE}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/FINAL_Greenpeace-Africa_IRP-2018-submission.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }