Cape Town - DA leader Mmusi Maimane and Western Cape premier candidate Alan Winde shared their alternative energy plan for the province from Eskom's Atlantis power station.
Maimane said they hope that Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe will grant Western Cape license to procure energy directly from Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
According to Maimane, the party chose Atlantis because it is "the heart of this city’s green economy", and the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is set to attract R3.7 billion in investment and create nearly 3000 new job opportunities by the year 2030.
"The City of Cape Town remains resolute in its legal challenge to secure the right to procure energy directly from IPPs. It defies reason that in 2019 we are debating whether a government should have the right to buy and sell renewable energy, yet the ANC national government continues to hold our country back," Maimane said.
"Eskom continues to stifle innovation and progress in the energy sector. Over R400 billion debt, severe diesel and coal undersupply, plant maintenance malfunctioning, bloated staff contingent, and captured executives is what is sinking Eskom."
DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, Community Safety MEC, Alan Winde, were outside the Eskom power station in Atlantis, revealing their alternative energy plan. Video: Ayanda Ndamane/Supplied
The Eskom substation in Atlantis is currently running on diesel – which is an unaffordable and environmentally unfriendly source of power, Maimane said.
"The turbine generators that power this plant, like many others across the province, can be powered by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) which is both a cheaper and cleaner source of energy.
"Former Minister of Energy, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, refused to give the Western Cape a licence to import LNG. It is for this reason that I will today be writing the Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe, requesting that he allocate a licence to the Western Cape to start importing Liquid-Natural-Gas (LNG) to run turbine generators in the province," he said.
Winde added that Eskom should be allowed to buy coal from any source.
"Right now they’re only buying coal from certain producers and the suspicion is that these are from companies that provide sub-standard coal," he said.
"We know between the next 5-7 years that Eskom is going to lose 7000 megawatts on old coal powered power stations. We need new ones coming in. We got no new build on the horizon, and so this makes sense."
DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, Community Safety MEC, Alan Winde, were outside the Eskom power station in Atlantis, revealing their alternative energy plan. Video: Ayanda Ndamane/Supplied
@TheCapeArgus