nuclear-news

South African government owes people an explanation for its decision on dirty, costly, nuclear energy

“The government owes its citizens an answer as to why it is choosing a dangerous and expensive solution, when it has an abundance of renewable energy sources such as solar,” says Ferrial Adam, Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaigner.

“Nuclear energy is a dangerous distraction from the clean energy development needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. Nuclear power simply delivers too little, too late, and at too high a price for people and the environment.”

Nuclear: Part of the solution – or the problem?, FT, By Siseko Njobeni, 1 Dec 11 “.. Under the plan, about 9,600MW new nuclear capacity should be commissioned up to that period. This has set in motion the jockeying for what will certainly be one of the biggest capital projects in South Africa. The planned nuclear programme could be worth R400bn, according to Nelisiwe Magubane, director-general at the department of energy.

Dipuo Peters, the energy minister, has said the bidding process could start next year and the first power from the nuclear plants would come onstream in 2024 or 2025.

The nuclear programme is likely to attract the interest of energy companies such as Westinghouse Electric of the US and Areva of France, which has said it wants to be part of the nuclear bid programme.

About three years ago, the two were vying for a tender to build Eskom’s second nuclear plant. The power utility, however, cancelled the tender, citing lack of funds.

It remains unclear how the funding of the new nuclear plants will be
structured,….. although nuclear is considered by some to be clean and efficient, it
is not universally accepted.

Since the government made clear its latest atomic ambitions, various environment organisations, including Earthlife Africa and Greenpeace, have warned about the social and economic risks of nuclear power…

“The government owes its citizens an answer as to why it is choosing a dangerous and expensive solution, when it has an abundance of renewable energy sources such as solar,” says Ferrial Adam, Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaigner.

“Nuclear energy is a dangerous distraction from the clean energy development needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. Nuclear power simply delivers too little, too late, and at too high a price for people and the environment.”

December 3, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Africa