South Africa is on course to waste R250 billion every year by clinging to coal, nuclear and gas instead of fully embracing a renewables- and storage-led future, says independent energy analyst Clyde Mallinson .
The IRPs insistence on gas and nuclear means consumers will pay 60-70 more for electricity than necessary, he argues.
Mallinson has developed an alternative model based entirely on solar, wind and battery storage without relying on new coal, gas or nuclear capacity. His findings show that such a system would save R250 billion in electricity generation costs annually by 2040 compared to the mix set out in the Integrated Resource Plan IRP 2025.