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Eskom's Koeberg nuclear power station near Cape Town. Picture: SUNDAY TIMES
SA will not adopt a “big bang” approach to building new nuclear power capacity but instead add capacity in an affordable way, mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.
Former president Jacob Zuma championed a massive nuclear expansion project with Russia, but his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, put those plans on hold in one of his first moves after becoming leader of the ANC in late 2017.
Economists say a large-scale nuclear new build is something SA, whose last investment-grade credit rating is hanging by a thread, can ill afford.
“It comes back to a resolution we took as a government: not going big bang into nuclear, but going at a pace and price that the country can afford. Go modular, go at a pace and price that the country can afford,” Mantashe told reporters.
“The fact that we suspected corruption [in the previously floated Russia deal] doesn’t mean that nuclear is irrelevant for the country in 2019.”
Mantashe would not give a timeline for any new nuclear capacity, saying the government’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) would need to be approved first.
The IRP has been held up for months by discussions with business and labour, but Mantashe said he hoped it will be taken to cabinet for approval in the next two to three weeks.
Mantashe said the IRP contained provision for “modular nuclear technology”, saying nuclear would compete with other power sources to replace energy capacity that will be decommissioned in the medium to long term.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
SA considering modular nuclear technology
SA will not adopt a “big bang” approach to building new nuclear power capacity but instead add capacity in an affordable way, mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.
Former president Jacob Zuma championed a massive nuclear expansion project with Russia, but his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, put those plans on hold in one of his first moves after becoming leader of the ANC in late 2017.
Economists say a large-scale nuclear new build is something SA, whose last investment-grade credit rating is hanging by a thread, can ill afford.
“It comes back to a resolution we took as a government: not going big bang into nuclear, but going at a pace and price that the country can afford. Go modular, go at a pace and price that the country can afford,” Mantashe told reporters.
“The fact that we suspected corruption [in the previously floated Russia deal] doesn’t mean that nuclear is irrelevant for the country in 2019.”
Mantashe would not give a timeline for any new nuclear capacity, saying the government’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) would need to be approved first.
The IRP has been held up for months by discussions with business and labour, but Mantashe said he hoped it will be taken to cabinet for approval in the next two to three weeks.
Mantashe said the IRP contained provision for “modular nuclear technology”, saying nuclear would compete with other power sources to replace energy capacity that will be decommissioned in the medium to long term.
Reuters
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