Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has confirmed that government intends initiating discussions with both coal miners and independent power producers (IPPs) in an effort to lower the contracted prices currently being paid by struggling State-owned electricity group Eskom. He reports that a meeting has already been scheduled with domestic coal producers for September 27 and that a meeting is also likely to take place this month with the IPPs involved in the first three bid windows of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
