By Prof Marco le Roux

Amid global warming, 80% of the world’s energy is still obtained from fossil fuels. For South Africa, this amounts to over 90% of its energy requirements, with coal being responsible for 70% of the country's energy and 80% of its electricity needs. However, the Paris Agreement requires South Africa to retire 25 000 MW in coal-fired power plants, which will add even more strain to an already struggling electricity grid. Predictions show that South Africa will still be dependent on coal for base-load electricity beyond 2050. For this reason, it remains the responsibility of experts to continue with research to optimise coal usage, minimise emissions and rehabilitate used sites.