Overview

• Cabinet approved the IRP 2025 and Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa presented it as a national investment to resolve power shortages and boost growth.
• The programme targets 105,000 MW of new capacity by 2039, including by 2030 about 11,270 MW of solar PV, 7,340 MW of wind, 6,000 MW of gas-to-power, and 5,200 MW of new nuclear.
• Government sets emissions goals of roughly 160 million tonnes of CO2e in 2030, declining to 142 million tonnes by 2035.
• Eskom’s energy availability factor has risen from about 48% during peak load shedding to around 70%, which officials cite as a platform for the build-out.
• Civil society questions who will bear the R2.2 trillion cost and the affordability of gas and nuclear, an energy analyst warns prices could be higher than alternative pathways, and officials acknowledge skills and construction capacity constraints while excluding green hydrogen pending clearer costs.