• Energy expert Chris Yelland warned that load shedding could return around 2030 if Eskom's planned gas power stations face any delays.

• Eskom plans to close 5,260MW of coal power by 2029 and replace it with 6,000MW of gas power around 2030.

South Africa may face load shedding again around 2030.

Energy expert Chris Yelland made the warning on the State of the Nation podcast on 2 February.

He said the problem will happen if Eskom cannot bring new gas power stations online on time.

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Eskom is planning to shut down about 5,260MW of coal power by 2029. This will create a gap in electricity supply.

The power utility wants to fill the gap with new gas power stations. It plans to add 6,000MW of gas power by 2030.

But Eskom has admitted these gas projects could be delayed.

Yelland said Eskom has a poor track record with big projects. Its newest coal stations, Medupi and Kusile, took around 18 years to build.

Until the gas stations are ready, Eskom plans to use diesel-powered turbines. But this is only a temporary fix.

The gas power stations will run on liquefied natural gas. South Africa does not produce this fuel. The country will have to import all of it.

This creates big problems. Importing the gas is expensive and complicated. Environmental groups are also fighting against it.

They say liquefied natural gas is still a fossil fuel. It also contains methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas.

Yelland said gas power should only be used during peak demand times. It should not replace coal stations that run all the time.

He pointed to battery storage as a better option. Batteries are getting cheaper and work well with wind and solar power.

In the future, Yelland expects green hydrogen to replace gas. This can be made locally using renewable energy.

But that technology still needs more development before it can be used at scale.