Mpumalanga cautions against 'killing coal' under pressure to go green

Government says 10 Mpumalanga power stations face closure

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

The Mpumalanga provincial government has cautioned global leaders against making hasty or miscalculated moves in South Africa's shift to a low-carbon economy, warning that coal-reliant communities must not be undermined in the name of climate action.

Speaking this week at the G20 Sustainable Energy Transition session in Cape Town, public works, roads and transport and infrastructure MEC Thulasizwe Thomo placed Mpumalanga at the centre of the national energy conversation.

He based his remarks on Mpumalanga’s role as the heart of South Africa's coal operations and the host of the majority of Eskom’s power stations.

“Mpumalanga is richly endowed with coal reserves, producing more than 80% of South Africa’s coal. Mining and energy have been contributing over 20% to the provincial GDP and provides employment to more than 7% of the workforce in Mpumalanga. Eleven of Eskom’s 13 coal-fired power stations are located in Mpumalanga, generating about 70% of the country’s electricity,” he said.

Thomo said they had a case study of what the hurried decommissioning of coal-fired power stations could do to communities.