- South Africa’s Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Mr Gwede Mantashe, still believes the Karpowership gas to power ships should be taken seriously.
- In an interview with Talk Radio 702’s Clement Manyathela, he said that “We (the country) is going to the extreme in giving environmentalists veto power over development.”
- In the interview, Mantashe reiterated that renewables will not solve the loadshedding problem.
- He added that “Load shedding can be attended to effectively and be reduced – almost eliminated if we focus on the right things.”
Mantashe awarded the three Karpowership bids totalling 1220MW prefered bidders status two years ago in the country’s Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). The programme has been a failure where there are key contractual issues, and the majority of projects are not bankable and/or EIA-approved. Simply put the tender programme was badly managed from the outset. Only three projects totalling 150MW that achieved financial close in the 2000MW programme.
The Karpowership projects – if authorised – will emit an irreversible amount of potent methane greenhouse gas (with a global warming potential of 84-86 times that of carbon dioxide over 20 years) and risk jeopardising South Africa’s ability to meet its climate change commitments. Lobby groups belive that South Africa would be better served by focusing on investment in infrastructure to enable a 21st century electricity system, which consulting firm Meridian points out that global trends show to be largely renewable.
The responsibility of new energy procurement falls under the control of the country’s Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Mr Gwede Mantashe, who has not added a single megawatt to the grid since taking office four years ago. REIPPPP Bid Window’s 5 and 6 also have poor outcomes under the management of Mantashe. Read more
Mantashe also commented on the role of newly appointed Minister of Electricity in the Presidency, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa who recently said that government was looking at unveiling a 15000MW renewable energy Bid Window. Read more
Link to the full interview HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
