Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says a move from diesel turbines to gas turbines will relieve some of the pressures on Eskom, which has been battling to meet demand. The power utility still relies primarily on coal-fired power stations for energy generation.
Eskom has been accused of failing to properly maintain its aging power stations. Minister Mantashe maintains that there is a lack of understanding of the benefits of gas and it is now up to the Energy Department to raise awareness.
However, some analysts say government should also be allowing independent power producers to feed solar and wind power into the grid.
Mantashe was speaking at the launch of the 2019 Global Coal Report released by the International Energy Agency in Sandton, north of Johannesburg.
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