section_path: Infrastructure/Energy
section_name: Energy
paragraph_text: Energy
  
  South Africa has a very large energy sector and is currently the only country on the African continent that possesses a nuclear power plant. The country is the largest producer of electricity on the African continent and it ranks 21st globally. South Africa is the 7th largest coal producer in the world and produces in excess of 248 million tonnes of coal and consumes almost three-quarters of that domestically. Around 77% of South Africa's energy needs are directly derived from coal and 92% of coal consumed on the African continent is mined in South Africa. South Africa is also the world's 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
  
  The country's primary electricity generator is Eskom, the utility is the largest producer of electricity in Africa, and is among the top seven utilities in the world in terms of generation capacity and among the top nine in terms of sales. It is the largest of South Africa's state owned enterprises. Eskom generates approximately 95% of electricity in South Africa and operates a number of notable power stations, including the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in Cape Town, the only nuclear power plant in Africa, Kendal Power Station, the largest dry-cooled power station in the world, as well as Duvha Power Station which became the first power station in the world to be retrofitted with pulse jet fabric filter plants. In 2001 Eskom was named the best electricity utility in the entire world.