South Africa can lower power system costs, accelerate renewable energy integration and meet its climate commitments without costly new builds by operating its coal fleet more flexibly, according to a new technical report by Meridian Economics.
Released on October 31 via an EE Business Intelligence webinar, Re-thinking the Future of South Africas Coal Fleet: The Value of Flexibility reframes the debate about coal plant life extension versus early retirement. It proposes a pragmatic third path: treating coal as dispatchable, seasonal capacity rather than inflexible baseload generation.
Coal flexibility refers to the ability of coal-fired stations to adjust their output to match changing demand, ramping up or down or operating efficiently at lower loads as renewable energy sources such as wind and solar expand. This adaptability improves system reliability and supports a smoother transition for coal-dependent regions.