Eskom will apply to the Treasury for a series of waivers and exemptions from procurement regulations as it forges ahead with its plan to build a fleet of six to eight nuclear plants to generate 9,600MW of energy. President Jacob Zuma is determined to proceed with the nuclear build programme, despite critics saying it is not necessary and beyond the means of a fiscally constrained government. His stance led to the removal of Tina Joemat-Pettersson as energy minister and her replacement by Zuma supporter Mmamoloko Kubayi. The government’s nuclear plans have been red-flagged by credit ratings agencies, which downgraded SA to junk status. The draft 2016 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) says SA will not need new nuclear power plants before 2037, but until it is finalised Eskom is operating on the basis of the 2010 IRP, which proposes the construction of 9,600MW in nuclear plants. In December, the power utility issued a request for information, which closes on April 28, and by the end of Ju...
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