The Department of Energy (DoE) will launched the much-anticipated public leg of its stakeholder consultation process on the second integrated resource plan, or IRP 2010, on Monday June 7, and Tuesday, June 8.

The gathering, at which government and other stakeholders will make presentations on what should inform the 20-year energy road map, will take place at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, in Pretoria.

The DoE said on Friday that the plenary session will be open to the public and will provide a platform for stakeholders to make oral presentations on inputs that have already been submitted to the department.

Government would also use the occasion to outline the process through which the IRP2010 would be drafted. It has indicated previously that a draft should be published during June and that a final version should be in place by around September.

During May, the DoE released the 29 input parameters that had been identified for the IRP2010 modelling process and released a series of ‘Fact Sheets' on these parameters.

In a consultation pack released in May, the DoE argued that the IRP2010 would have to answer the following questions:

- What are the electrical energy requirements for South Africa to achieve the aspiration of sustainable economic growth, and by when is the capacity needed?
- What is the appropriate mix of technologies to meet these needs that ensures South Africa can: meet its commitments to climate change initiatives, ensure adequacy of supply, impact on the local manufacturing base, maintain a competitive position in the global arena, and ensure sustainable use of local and regional resources?
- What are the linkages and dependencies on other resources such as water, primary energy sources, skills, sorbents, transmission infrastructure and land?
- What will it cost to meet these needs and how will it be funded? What will be the impact on future electricity prices and will they remain competitive?
- What is required to implement this plan, what is the level of confidence in achieving this, what are the commitments required and who are these required of?