Eskom Announces Its Last-Gasp Attempt to Salvage Coal as Renewable Energy Superseding Fossil Fuels
Despite frequent power cuts and blackouts, Eskom is trying to cling to its coal addiction, gradually swapping it for cleaner technologies – an admission that its reliance on dirty energy is finally starting to crumble. But it’s not all green lights and sustainability, folks – it turns out the utility plans to expand capacity, not abandon coal entirely.
Citing Dan Mashigo, the utility’s GM for primary energy, Eskom will continue to pump power from a mix of solar, wind, hydro, battery, gas, and nuclear sources over the next decade, despite admitting it will still generate most of its electricity from fossil fuels until 2035.
The plan, aptly titled “Expansion without Devolution,” is nothing more than an attempt to pacify growing pressures to abandon coal altogether and transition to a more sustainable, renewable-based energy system. According to Mashigo, the utility expects to increase capacity to 54GW by 2035, from 48GW next year, but will still burn coal to the tune of 48% of its electricity supply. Fossil fuels will make up 67% of its power mix in 2035. Wow, what a thrilling change towards a greener future!”–
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