To extend or not to extend?

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Tue 16 May   [ozayr_patel_hello-1] We all know how divisive coal can be. Should we extend the life of our ailing coal plants or should we not. On the one hand, we desperately need power, from whatever source. We cannot continue with load-shedding stage six or even higher as it has been warned. Our economy suffers daily because of it. Those who say we need coal argue that it is reliable, but we need to get the coal plants are working. Many ministers, including our fairly new electricity one, believe firmly that we must not decommission coal plants, we need to fix it to fix load-shedding. That belief is strong with Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa, he is regularly arguing for it with parliament and in media. On the opposite side of the coin, Crispan Oliver executive director of the Presidential Climate Commission believes that we absolutely cannot extend coal’s lifespan. He believes it would be detrimental financially especially with partner groups pledging money to South Africa for clean energy. There’s the concern that if we extend coal, it would jeopardise the just transition money that has been promised to us by international partners to reduce reliance on coal. There’s also the environmental impact of coal. According to a recent report by forestry, fisheries and the environment minister Barbara Creecy, South Africa’s net emissions in carbon dioxide went down (between us, I’m sceptical, I think it’s because of the Covid period). But if we push for more coal, will that be the case? We may not meet our greenhouse gas emission targets, international partners won’t be happy. Renewable energy is not as easy people think. It’s not as simple as “here is solar and wind now our power problems are sorted”. They need to be connected to a grid and in places like the Northern Cape where renewable energy is rife, the grid can’t handle renewable power. So grid infrastructure must be invested in. If we invest in grid infrastructure for renewable, what happens to coal? Without coal, can we realistically overcome load-shedding in the next year or two? I don’t think so. But how long can we wait for renewables to join our struggling grid? What about gas and nuclear? Are they realistic short-term options? Sign up to the Green Guardian [environmental newsletter](. You’ll find some excellent climate and environment news as well as a weekly quiz. Ozayr Patel | Climate & Environment Editor [@Ozayr8]( [KomatiGettyImages-1152274150 (1)]( [Extending coal plants lifespan will not solve anything, says Crispian Olver]( Climate commission presents its recommendations to Ramaphosa, highlighting that it is vital to decommission crumbling plants as soon as the power crunch eases [// Read more]( [Load-shedding eskom]( [Stage six load-shedding brought forward]( Don’t use geysers from five to nine at night, electricity minister pleads, while the cold, dark winter Eskom promised hits the country and power stations continue to break down [// Read more]( [iqbal sharma-1]( Premium [NPA argues judge made mistakes in Nulane ruling]( She failed to apply the rules of evidence, the doctrine of common purpose and sections of the Criminal Procedure Act correctly, prosecutors argue [// Read more]( Recommended Reads [Zambia’s debt crisis is not easy to solve]( In early 2021, the country agreed to be a guinea pig for a new approach to tackle sovereign debt [// Read more]( [Malawi cholera outbreak: consequences of under-investment in water in Africa]( Financing water is generally a low priority in most African countries, amounting to about $10-$19 billion/year [// Read more]( [Balance needed between vulture conservation and traditional medicine]( Dr Nomthandazo Manqele conducted a study on the role of vultures in traditional medicine and finds that healers share a desire to conserve the endangered, yet revered, species [// Read more]( [Catch them … if you Cannes]( A peek at some of the films to watch out for at this year’s festival [// Read more]( [Simple sheet can stop thousands from dying after giving birth]( Researchers have found a way to slash life-threatening bleeding after birth, says a study presented at the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference [// Read more]( Pic of the day [Kendal power station] A pedestrian walks through a field, backdropped by the Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Kendal coal-fired power station in Mpumalanga, South Africa, on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images) [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa