Question NW4288 to the Minister of Public Enterprises
25 November 2022 - NW4288
Tshwaku, Mr M to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises
Following the decommissioning of the Komati Power Station, what plans (a) does Eskom have in place to decommission more power stations over the next 10 years and (b) have been put in place to ensure that Eskom is able to replace the power generation capacity lost as a result of decommissioning power stations?
Reply:
According to Information Received from Eskom:
a) In the next 10 years, up to the end of 2032, seven (7) stations, including Komati, are planned to be fully shut down and an additional two (2) are expected to have some units shut down. It should be noted that Eskom currently does not have plans to fully decommission these stations in line with the strategy for repurposing and repowering the sites in support of the Just Energy Transition (JET).
b) Eskom plans to add 150 MW solar power, 600 MWh battery energy storage and 70 MW wind power to replace the shut-down capacity at Komati. Eskom notes that it is not expected that the full capacity of the coal stations to be shut down could be replaced on a 1-to-1 basis by repowering and repurposing with renewables. The responsibility of ensuring adequate capacity lies with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and those plans are reflected in the latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019). Eskom’s shutdown plans are generally in line with the assumptions in the IRP and in fact, the IRP assumed that 4 888 MW of coal stations would already be shut down by the end of 2022. Tutuka, however, is planned to be shut down earlier than assumed in the IRP due to techno-economic considerations.
Eskom is, however, committed to both improving the performance of the Generation fleet and introducing additional capacity, comprising both renewable and low carbo technologies, in order to assist the DMRE with guaranteeing adequate capacity to meet the electricity demands of the nation.