Thought Council: Alternative energy sources in South Africa

Power utility Eskom estimates that, without additional capacity, there will be an electricity supply shortfall of between 4,000 and 6,000 megawatts over the next five years, as old coal-fired power stations reach their end of life. To address this shortfall, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that government will issue a request for proposals for 2,600 megawatts from wind and solar energy as part of a bid window. South Africa has had an energy problem for years, which indicates a desperate need to consider alternative energy sources. However, what do we mean when we say alternative energy? And what is South Africa’s available pathway? In the next hour we unpack this and Lukhona is joined by Avena Jacklin, Gaopalelwe Santswere a nuclear physicist and Prof. Tonderayi Matambo, Head of the Biotechnology Engineering research group in the Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability, UNISA.

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