I delivered a presentation and took part in a panel discussion at the inaugural London Indaba

We only have look at the facts to understand just how disastrous eliminating coal would be, especially for developing economies. At this year’s London Indaba, I delivered a presentation on whether coal was a winner or loser amid the global economic demands for growth and the ongoing energy transition towards decarbonisation.  

The event took place on 26-27 June at the InterContinental Park London Lane, UK under the overarching theme: Why Africa is important for the future of mining and mining is important for the future of Africa.   

In the presence of fellow industry leaders, academics, and experts I highlighted the urgency of resolving Africa’s energy insecurity. Currently more than 600 million people in sub-saharan Africa alone do not have access to adequate electricity. For citizens electricity, access is not just about keeping the lights on, but it is about livelihoods, industries and communities that are at risk of collapsing should we fail to remedy the situation.  

I find it concerning that at a time when countries in Europe and Asia are pushing hard to keep their energy systems afloat, African nations are still expected to shutdown coal fired power stations. Coal use increased in the past two years, partly because of the Russia-Ukraine war, resulting in countries like Germany turning back to coal as an affordable alternative to Russian gas. These crucial moments in the history of energy production testifying to coal’s continued resilience. 

I also reminded the audience that in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, China was unable to generate enough power which caused the country to experience loadshedding. To tackle this, China increased its coal production because they understood the importance of securing energy supply to maintain the country’s manufacturing sector. In the same way, African countries should put their energy security needs first.  

In the presentation I referred to our situation in South Africa, a country whose continued struggle with power supply has resulted in countless job losses amongst a long list of negative outcomes. I am more in favour of adopting a balanced approach that considers the role of coal in curbing energy insecurity with renewables to provide support.  

We should ask ourselves if completely re-inventing the wheel at such a delicate point of our country’s development is worth the risk? The best approach according to me, is to use what we have at our disposal which is ample coal supply and coal fired power stations to keep South Africa’s energy supply flowing. With the availability of emission reduction and abatement technologies, we can uphold our dual commitment to protect the environment while supporting economic growth.  

Case studies from EU and China tell us that coal usage in future is likely to be driven by need. The world’s energy consumption levels are expected to increase, setting the stage for coal to still play a major role in the global energy mix for many years to come.   

View the presentation below: