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German chancellor Angela Merkel has cautioned South Africa, and Eskom in particular, on the herculean task that lays ahead in the power utility’s quest to cut down its reliance on coal.
Merkel – addressing University of Pretoria students at the campus’s Future Africa Auditorium on Thursday afternoon – said a long road lay ahead for Eskom as it seeks ways to generate and use more renewable energy.
She said in her discussion with President Cyril Ramaphosa and Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, she had learnt that the country relies on coal-powered energy for almost 80% or 90% of its electricity consumption.
“It will be a herculean task for South Africa’s Eskom but the most immediate action the country can take is introducing more renewable energy sources in the national grid,” said Merkel.
Under Merkel’s administration, Germany has become known as the world’s first major renewable energy economy.
The share of renewable electricity rose from just 3.4% of gross electricity consumption in 1990 to exceed 10% by 2005.
And under Merkel’s tenure – she assumed office in 2005 – that figure has grown to 46.3% of consumption.
Merkel told the students that part of her engagements with Ramaphosa earlier in the day had included discussions around the energy crisis in South Africa as well as engagements between delegates from her country’s renewable energy sector.
Merkel cautioned that the move to renewable energy comes with its own challenges as had been experienced by her own administration.
“Germany’s biggest source of renewable energy is wind-powered energy. However in some rural areas we faced challenges with individuals, some of whom even sued the government, saying they didn’t like the aesthetic of windmills. Some found faults in the sound saying the windmills were noisy while some where complaining about the lights that are attached to the windmills. So bear in mind, even with this move to renewable energy, you will face opposition,” said Merkel.
She added that South Africa should also explore other options such as natural gas, dependent obviously on the reservoirs in the country.
“There are other things that individuals could contribute such as building better insulated homes so as to use less energy of air conditioning as well as using more efficient cars,” she said.
“Government can also introduce taxes for CO2 emissions to do more towards the sustainability of the environment.”
Merkel – who studied physics and later chemistry only to find herself occupying the highest office in one of the world’s biggest economies – urged the students who had packed the auditorium to be interdisciplinary and rather pursue apprenticeships.
She also urged the young people to “rise up, utilise digital instruments and take a stand against corruption” which is hampering “most African economies”.
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