Electricity and Energy Ministry special adviser Silas Zimu (centre), McCloskey senior VP John Howland (right) and McCloskey Africa editor Randi Fabi (left).
CAPE TOWN (miningweekly.com) – Day two of the twentieth annual McCloskey Southern African Coal Conference opened here on Friday with carbon emission reduction being highlighted as one of the coal industry’s key challenges.
Electricity and Energy Ministry special adviser Silas Zimu, in delivering the keynote address during the opening session chaired by McCloskey senior VP John Howland, gave recognition to the importance of the pragmatism that has characterised South Africa’s coal-dominant power generation sector, which is now working in tandem with the emerging renewable-energy sector.
‘We really appreciate the cooperation you have given to Eskom,” Zimu commented as he spelt out the significant learnings of the past two years in which coal has continued to play its crucial ongoing role, accompanied by the contribution of sun and wind energy initiatives.
“It’s not about coal versus renewables. It’s to ensure that energy is available, accessible and affordable.
“We’ve learnt a lot in the past two years. Are we out of the bush? Not yet,” Zimu commented as he drew attention to the need for a focus to be placed on emission reduction, which he noted was already discernible in Mpumalanga, where most of South Africa’s coal-fired power stations are located.
The generation of renewables in significant volume by coal-dominant Eskom was posited as a good pursuit, along with the cessation of plans to close old coal-fired power stations.
This needs to be done in the interests of ensuring that supply meets demand and "demand is growing", Zimu pointed out.
Interestingly, to reduce emissions further, a close look is being given to the manner in which Japan is making use of green ammonia, a derivative of green hydrogen, to generate coal-fired power in a low carbon manner.
This, Zimu revealed, has followed the visit of South Africa’s Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to Japan in December.
During that visit, Japan's pursuit of a sustainable green future was shown to include the use of green ammonia to help to decarbonise coal-fired power generation, something that South Africa could potentially adopt as well.
Japan's emerging green future at the same time presented an opportunity for South Africa, which the publication ESG Africa reported involved South Africa's showcasing of its commitment to hydrogen projects, such as the Boegoebaai project in the Northern Cape and the Coega Green Ammonia Project in the Eastern Cape. Attempts are being made to position South Africa as a preferred supplier of green hydrogen and green ammonia to Japan to help the Asian country to meet its 2050 net-zero carbon objectives and its Hydrogen Society Promotion Act. 