Elakuleli nezinselelo zikagesi ohlanzekile
Amalahle kuseyiwona okuthenjelwe kakhulu kuwo ekukhiqizeni ugesi eNingizimu Afrika, naphezu kokuba izindawo eziningi kuleli zinelanga eliningi njengoba kuthiwa likhanya amahora angama-2 500 ngonyaka.
Ngokufanayo i-United Kingdom kuthiwa ilanga khona lihlaba izikhathi ezingamahora angama-1 500 onyakeni, yingakho kuyinto ebalulekile ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ikusebenzise ukuba khona kwelanga ekukhiqizeni ugesi. NgoNhlangulana walo nyaka kuke kwaba nezinkulumo ezithi isikhungo esiphehla ugesi i-Eskom sinohlelo olunaso lokuvala izimayini zayo eziningi ezikhiqiza ugesi ngokusebenzisa amalahle ngonyaka wezi-2050, ukuze uqale ukusebenzisa uhlelo lokukhiqiza ugesi kusetshenziswa ilanga, irenewable energy.
Ngesikhathi kubanjwe ingqungquthela iCOP26 engokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, i-USA, i-European Union, i-United Kingdom, iFrance neGermany bazibophezela ngomnikelo we$8.5bn kule minyaka emihlanu ezayo wokulekelela iNingizimu Afrika ezinhlelweni zayo zokukhiqiza ugesi ngenye indlela.
Ngokusho kwesikhulu esiphezulu kwa-Eskom u-André de Ruyter lesi simemezelo esenziwa engqungqutheleni iCOP26 sizoyilekelela kakhulu iNingizimu Afrika ekutheni ihlangabezane nalokho okusha ezibekele khona uma kuziwa ngasekukhiqizeni ugesi ngezindlela ezintsha. Kukhona konke lokhu, abaningi bayazibuza ukuthi ngabe u-Eskom uzokwazi yini ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zezinguquko ezingaka. Kuyimanje le nkamani ikweleta izigidigidi, okuyinto eyenza kuhambe ngonyawo lonwabu ukulondoloza kuyo, kuphinde kube inkinga yengqalasizinda yayo esihanjelwe kakhulu isikhathi.
Lokhu kucacisa ngokusobala ukuthi kukhona okudinga ukwenziwa. INingizimu Afrika iyizwe le-12 emhlabeni elikhiqiza umoya ongcolile, kanti lapha ezwenikazi i-Afrika yilo eliqengqeleza phambili, ngokusho kweGlobal Carbon Atlas. Ngisho noma u-Eskom angathatha isinqumo sokuqhubeka nokusebenzisa amalahle, kodwa le nkampani ithi izodinga imali engaphezu kwe-R20billion ukulungisa izimboni zayo ezisebenzisa amalahle esezigugile ukuze zihambisane nesikhathi iNingizimu Afrika ekuso. Ngokusho kwabacwaningi ezinye izinto zisengenzeka, kodwa babona izinhlelo zikaDe Ruyter ziyihaba kakhulu.
OyiNhloko Yezokuthuthukisa enkampanini iRed Rocket Energy okuyinkampani ezimele uSharief Harris, uthi likhona ithemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga iNingizimu Afrika iyokwazi ukusebenzisa ugesi ohlanzekile. Uqhuba uthi into edingekayo ukuthi u-Eskom uvume ukuthi ingqalasizinda yawo isiphelelwe isikhathi kuqalwe kulungiswe lapho kanye nezinkinga zezimali ezibhekene no-Eskom. UHaris uphinde waveza ukuthi u-Eskom kuzomele usebenzise imali eshisiwe uma uzimisele ngokwakha amasolar plants nama wind farms azokwazi ukuxhumana ugesi osuke usetshenziswa.
“Kudingeka ukulungiswa ngendlela ezodala ukuthi kungabi nezinkinga ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kugesi, kanti lo msebenzi udinga izigidigidi zamarandi,” kuxwayisa uHarris. U-Eskom uvele usushilo ukuthi kule minyaka eli-15 ezayo uzodinga imali engama-R350 billion ukuze ukwazi ukungena ngokugcwele ohlelweni lokushintshela kugesi ohlanzekile. Lokhu kuyoba nomphumela omuhle ikakhulukazi kuleyo mali eyi-$8.5bn eyayiqhamuka e-USA nase-Europe, kuphinde kugqugquzele ukuthi esikhathini esizayo abantu batshale izimali kuleli. Kukhona nokukhuluma okuthi ukuguqukela kuhlelo olusha lukagesi ohlanzekile kungenzeka kulekelelwe nayizimboni ezizimele zikagesi.
Muva nje, imithetho ebibekiwe ngezinkampani ezizimele ezikhiqiza amandla kagesi ibivimba ukukhula kwemboni yesolar eNingizimu Afrika. Kodwa kulo nyaka izinto zishintshile njengoba imithetho isivumela izimboni zangasese ezizimele ukuba zizakhele iziphehli zazo ezinkulu, ezingafinyelela ku-100 megawatts. Lesi isiphehli esingakhanyisa imizi efinyelela ku-6,500.