South Africa’s Big Power Shift: Ramokgopa Banks On Solar, Wind And Gas To End Load Shedding By 2030

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has unveiled an updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) that places greater emphasis on solar, wind, and gas power as South Africa pushes to eliminate load shedding and achieve energy security by 2030.

Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, Ramokgopa said the plan — an update to the 2019 version — marks a major step towards diversifying the country’s energy sources. “Our responsibility is to ensure the country is rid of load shedding for good,” he stated.

Currently, Eskom generates about 51,000 megawatts of electricity, which makes up most of South Africa’s power supply. The updated IRP aims to introduce new technologies to ensure more reliable and sustainable energy production in the coming years.

Solar and Wind Energy to Take Centre Stage

Ramokgopa revealed that the revised plan sets clear targets to be achieved by 2030, beginning with an additional 11,000 megawatts from solar power. This will see solar energy contributing around 20% more to the national grid.

The minister added that wind energy will also see a significant boost, with new turbines expected to contribute another 15% to the overall energy mix. “We are making sure that renewable energy plays a central role in stabilising our electricity supply,” he said.

The expanded use of renewable technologies is expected to not only reduce the pressure on Eskom but also help lower carbon emissions and attract private investment into South Africa’s energy sector.

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Ramokgopa further emphasised the importance of gas power as a flexible backup source to complement renewables. However, he acknowledged the logistical challenges of sourcing and installing the required infrastructure.

“The procurement is very tight given the long times of this equipment and given the fact that you need to contract, you need to secure the molecules and depending on the solution, the regasification facilities,” said Ramokgopa.

He also announced that battery and energy storage systems will be developed to store excess energy generated by renewables, helping balance the grid during peak demand periods.

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