Reuters reported that South Africa sees renewable and nuclear energy accounting for two thirds of new power stations built over the next 20 years as it seeks to cut its reliance on coal.

The cabinet approved the country's 20 year energy master plan, meant to unlock investment in the power sector and help build reserve capacity to avoid a repeat of a 2008 power crisis which shut industry down for days in the world's top producer of platinum and a major supplier of gold. Africa's biggest economy currently relies on coal for nearly all of its electricity supply, most of which is generated by state owned power utility Eskom. But the new plan foresees 42% of all new plants coming on stream between now and 2030 to be based on green power, 23% on nuclear and only 15% on coal.

Mr Collins Chabane, minister in the presidency in charge of monitoring and evaluation, told reporters that "Cabinet considered, deliberated and approved the policy adjusted integrated resource plan 2010 as the basis for the South African power generation program for the next 20 years."

The plan still has to be approved by parliament, before the president signs so that the law takes effect. The government revised the targets for the different energy sources after a draft of the plan was heavily criticized by industry, bankers and environmentalists who questioned its costs, timelines and feasibility. The target for nuclear was revised slightly downwards, while that for renewable energy was increased by nearly half to provide an estimated 17,800 MW.

Mr Nelisiwe Magubane, director general at the department of energy, said that nuclear would supply 9,600 MW of all new power produced in the next two decades.

The government said earlier this week that it would not put its planned nuclear expansion on hold, despite concerns over nuclear safety given the crisis in Japan.

(Sourced from www.reuters.com)