The North West University (NWU) principal and vice-chancellor, Prof Bismark Tyobeka/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
20 October 2025- The North West University (NWU) principal and vice-chancellor, Prof Bismark Tyobeka said that South Africa will generate more electricity from non-fossil fuel sources than fossil fuels, if the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 projects is anything to go by. Tyobeka said South Africa can reclaim its leadership position as Africa’s foremost nuclear power nation.
As a nuclear expert in his own right, he further said the IRP recognises the urgency with which they must act in addressing climate change. Tyobeka added that on 19 October 2025, the Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, outlined South Africa’s new energy transition strategy – the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) – which emphatically shifts the country’s energy reliance from fossil fuels to renewables, gas and nuclear.
“The IRP sets the country on a 15-year path to diversify the national energy mix, modernise ageing infrastructure, and restore faith in an economy long constrained by blackouts. At the heart of the plan lies a familiar dilemma of how to keep the lights on without worsening the climate crisis.
“Coal, which still provides 58% of South Africa’s electricity, will gradually yield to renewables, and together with distributed generation, this energy mix will make up over half of new installed capacity by 2035,” he said.
Tyobeka said the government expects more than 105 000 MW of new generation capacity by 2039, with 34 000 MW from wind and 25 000 MW from solar. He said yet fossil fuels will not disappear entirely.
“On gas-to-power, 6 000 MW by 2030 will act as a stabiliser, while a “clean coal” demonstration plant remains on the cards. Perhaps most striking is the return of nuclear energy to the national conversation.
“The IRP calls for 5 200 MW of new nuclear generation by 2039, with potential expansion to 10 000 MW if a forthcoming Nuclear Industrialisation Plan proves viable,” said Tyobeka.
He said the government argues that nuclear power offers reliable base-load power and industrial spinoffs, echoing a global resurgence that has seen 70 reactors under construction and renewed financial support from development banks. Tyobeka has lauded the new framework, praising it for both its environmental commitment and how it will reposition South Africa as the continent’s foremost nuclear power nation.
“I think the IRP 2025 released by the Minister on Sunday is quite progressive, especially in the sense that it recognises the urgency with which we must act in addressing climate change. I view it as a strong affirmation from the South African government that we have clear climate obligations to meet, and that reducing our carbon footprint is a vital part of this commitment.
“For the first time, the IRP 2025 projects that South Africa will generate more electricity from non–fossil-fuel sources than from fossil fuels. This represents a significant turning point, as we begin to scale down fossil-fuel-based generation and increase the contribution of cleaner energy sources such as solar, hydro, wind, and nuclear,” he said.
The Guardian 