Energy Minister Jeff Radebe
The release of the updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) will go ahead on Monday, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has confirmed.
Radebe tweeted on Friday that the long-awaited energy update was under discussion at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) but would be posted on the website of the energy department no later than on Monday.
He had earlier in the week told reporters it would be released on Friday.
The IRP was adopted by Cabinet on Wednesday.
It was approved in December but later sent back to Cabinet. No reason was given for this at the time, but it is widely believed that its proposals on nuclear energy may have been one of the issues that were submitted for reconsideration.
The draft IRP made provision for expanding the country’s nuclear energy capacity but stated bringing new nuclear plants online would not be necessary before 2037.
The IRP’s 2010 version had said it had to happen by 2020.
A draft of the document released in November last year, also drew criticism from energy experts for capping the amount of renewable energy that could be brought online.