IRP 2018 is on the Department of Energy website at www.energy.gov.za

The additional documents are here.

IRP 2016 and related documents, including costing documents, are here.

It should help predict how much electricity will cost when new power stations are added to the grid.

If this plan is successful, your home and South Africa’s economy will have reliable electricity supply up to 2030. Given South Africa’s obligation to meet international climate change commitments (as a signatory to the Paris Agreement), the IRP will have a direct impact on how our future electricity is produced and from what sources – this will ultimately have a negative effect on jobs at coal mines and coal-fired stations. However, the potential job losses would be mitigated by new jobs from renewable energy plants.

The IRP timeline

• March 2011 – IRP 2010-30 became policy. IRP 2018 will be the new plan replacing this outdated plan.

• 2013 – First draft of an updated IRP was issued but nothing further happened.

• October 2016 – Draft IRP 2016 released for public comment.

• March 2017 – Comments on Draft IRP 2016 closed. This document was never finalised.

• 27 August 2018 – Draft IRP 2018 (the update of the Draft IRP 2016) released for public comment.

• 26 October 2018 – Deadline for public comment on Draft IRP 2018.

Minister of Energy Jeff Radebe released the Draft IRP 2018 on 27 August 2018 for public comment. There is 60 days for comment (until 26 October). OUTA is compiling an extensive document to submit to the Department of Energy and would like to invite citizens and industry players to add their comments and views. The final submission will be shared with all OUTA supporters.

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is the long-term plan about the energy mix and associated electricity generation capacity required to meet demand. The IRP entails predicting how much power South Africa will need and how this should be produced. It assesses power generation technologies – coal, nuclear, gas, hydro, wind, biogas and solar power. It applies scenario modelling with input parameters sourced from Eskom System Operator and other areas such as economic indicators and policy considerations and sets out a base plan from the least-cost power generation options. This plan is produced by the Department of Energy, in consultation Eskom, industry players and research houses.

The IRP 2018 is South Africa’s energy blueprint for the next 20 years. As citizens who have foot the bill for corruption through astronomical electricity prices it is important for you to have your say on which energy supply SA should invest in. OUTA believes that SA should move away from coal towards renewable energy. However, this move should be done cautiously without compromising electricity supply.