South Africa said it was targeting coal dependency at 27% by 2039, down from 58% today.
The figure was announced by the country’s energy minister as part of broader plans to invest 2.23 trillion rand ($128 billion) in energy infrastructure by 2042.
Africa’s most industrialized economy also plans to spend more heavily on nuclear and gas — in line with a global trend toward more nuclear power. Pretoria wants the two energy sources to account for 16% of total generation capacity in the next 14 years compared to 3% at present.
South Africa was the world’s seventh-largest coal producer in 2023, according to the most recent International Energy Agency data, and relies heavily on the fuel for its electricity supply.