Coal Billionaire Says SA’s Grid Too Weak for Green Energy, Mzansi Accuses Him of Having “Vest Interest”

• A Russian coal billionaire has claimed that South Africa's power grid cannot support green energy
• Andrey Melnichenko said that the nation's efforts will be better spent rehabilitating and modernising its coal-fired power plants
• The fact that Melnichenko's fortune was made off of burning coal was not lost on South Africans, who questioned why he was pushing against the just transition

JOHANNESBURG- A Russian coal billionaire says that South Africa needs to fix its coal-fired power station rather than focusing on introducing renewable energy to the grid.

Andrey Melnichenko claimed that it would be cheaper and faster for the country to fix its ageing fleet, which will result in reasonably priced electricity.

It is worth noting that Melnichenko, who founded Suek JSC, one of the world's largest integrated energy companies, made his fortune generating electricity using fuel, Bloomberg reported.

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The manner in which Melnichnko made his billions makes South Africans think the billionaire is calling for the rehabilitation of SA coal-fired plants because he has a vested interest.

Here is what citizens had to say:

Vikash Ramsing questioned:

"What else would they say?"

Richard Peebles claimed:

"Mantashe is rubbing his hands in glee, once again beholden to his Russian masters."

Giel Oberholster commented:

"How else is he going to become riches? By selling coal."

Pedro Rick added:

"Russian Coal Billionaire… Enough said."

@TiTeddyBear quipped:

"The people who sell coal power stations say that coal power stations are the only solution? Gosh... How unexpected."

@beauchamp_lord accused:

"Russian coming to colonise vulnerable SA."

@markdavel asked:

"Any “vested interest” to declare?"

@RobertShivambu said:

"Can he focus on Russia as a criminal regime, please? What business does he have commenting about South Africa’s power grid?"

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Melnichenko's comments echoed Gwede Mantashe's resistance to the Just Energy Transition

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been campaigning hard for SA to add more solar and wind energy to the power grid. The president has been met with some opposition from prominent members of his government like Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, BusinessLIVE reported.

Mantashe who is a former coal-mine union leader has vehemently decried the just transition to green energy and insisted that coal is in South Africa's future.

Meet Makoma Lekalakala: The activist who killed the R1tn Russia South Africa nuclear deal

In another story, Briefly News reported not many people can say they fought corruption and won. But Mokoma Lekalaka, an environmental activist from Soweto did when she challenged the controversial nuclear agreement in 2017, together with fellow activist Liz McDaid.

The renowned environmental justice activist unveils her obstacles and successes in an exclusive interview with Briefly News.

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At a very young age, Makoma Lekalakala experienced a challenge that many young people living through apartheid did. In the 1970s, at the height of civil unrest in Soweto, a young Makoma was forced to quit school and enter the working world.

Source: Briefly News