It would be near impossible to construct a nuclear power station safely at Thyspunt, near Jeffrey’s Bay, because of deep, hidden canyons in the bedrock covered by sand and soft rock, a geological study has found. The study was corroborated by another from a PhD candidate at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University that detects evidence of a large paleo-seismic event along an Eastern Cape fault line 10,000 years ago. It looks set to blow a hole in Eskom’s environmental impact assessment study for the area that found the area technically safe and environmentally friendly for the construction of a nuclear power station. Thyspunt, 90km from Port Elizabeth, is one of Eskom’s top two preferred sites for a nuclear power station. It comprises a relatively flat area of hard rock close to sea level, covered by wetland and fynbos. Eskom applied for a licence for the site with the National Nuclear Regulator in March. The study was the work of a geology master’s student at the university. Professo...
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