Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said on Tuesday that public input on South Africa’s planned nuclear expansion will be judged on science and evidence. He said objections based only on a preference for one energy type will not carry weight.
Ramokgopa said Eskom has handed in its feasibility programme for 5200MW of new nuclear power. According to SAnews, the plan is in line with the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025, which provides for new nuclear capacity in the country.
“We will put the case for additional capacity before the public and consider submissions on their merits. It should not be an in-principle objection, an obsession with one energy technology over the other,” Ramokgopa said.
The minister gave the keynote address at the South African Nuclear and Clean Energy Conference. He said his department is preparing a proposed determination for public participation.
He said the publication of that determination is the legal trigger for procurement to begin. Ramokgopa said the National Nuclear Regulator will keep its independent power over safety and licensing.
According to the minister, the Nuclear Energy Policy names Eskom as the owner and operator of nuclear plants. He said the policy also allows Eskom to keep control under a public-private partnership.
Ramokgopa said the government has learnt from problems with the Kusile and Medupi power station builds. “It’s a template on how not to do things,” he said. He added that the goal is to stop the nuclear programme from becoming “a casualty of poor planning”.
The minister said the country needs enough electricity for the economy it wants to build. He said this includes room for factories to grow, for new investment to connect and for households to get affordable power.
“An economy with too little capacity pays for that shortage through higher cost supply and through production and investment that never takes place,” Ramokgopa said.
He admitted that a lack of skills is one of the biggest risks to the programme. Ramokgopa said South Africa has not built a nuclear power plant in about 50 years.
“The ones we have at Koeberg, they know how to run an already built power station. So, the inherent risk is we don’t have people who have built nuclear power stations before,” he said.
The minister said the gap will be closed by working with international partners to train local engineers. He said the country will gain experience as it builds its first, second and third reactors.
On Eskom’s coal fleet, Ramokgopa said coal and nuclear power “can operate alongside one another”. He said the department and Eskom are reviewing each coal station on its own merits.
He said some coal stations may run for longer while others will close. Ramokgopa said those decisions will depend on plant condition, costs and environmental rules.
The minister said the government sees nuclear as dependable, low carbon and cost-effective. He said it forms part of the capacity being developed to support growth and widen the country’s power supply.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.