Energy Portfolio Committee welcomes draft IRP

Energy Minister, Jeff Radebe

Energy Minister Jeff Radebe briefed the committee on Tuesday on the IRP, which serves to guide government’s plan for electricity provision within the energy mix.

This follows Cabinet’s 22 August approval of the draft updated IRP 2018.

He told the committee that the plan has been published for public comment for 60 days.

Committee chairperson Fikile Majola said the public has been calling for the committee to conduct public hearings on the nuclear build programme. However, in light of the updated IRP, which does not include additional nuclear, the committee will undertake a public consultation process on the updated IRP.

The first IRP for South Africa was promulgated in March 2011. It was indicated at the time that the IRP should be a “living plan”, which would be revised by the Department of Energy (DoE) frequently.

Radebe told a media briefing in Pretoria last month that the promulgated IRP, commonly referred to as IRP 2010, is currently being used to roll out electricity infrastructure development in line with ministerial determinations issued under Section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act.