nuclear-news

These are two critical issues that South African authorities will have to address as the country faces signing on the dotted line for its new nuclear procurement megaplan for six nuclear power stations by 2030. Funding was a “difficult issue” for the nuclear industry everywhere, said Amano, who was on a brief tour of South Africa last week…… The building of six new nuclear power stations could cost in the order of R1-trillion. Already, potential electricity tariff increases of 16% over the next five years have sparked outrage across the country. Financing new nuclear power stations, along with building other new-generation capacity outlined in the country’s electricity road map, the integrated resource plan, will push tariff increases to 20%, according to power utility Eskom.

The national planning commission and business organisations have called for an in-depth investigation into the financial viability of South Africa’s nuclear ambitions. ….. It is not clear whether South Africa has the necessary skills to procure, build, operate, maintain and regulate six new nuclear power stations….. Calls have emerged for the integrated resource plan itself to be reviewed. Industry actors and observers have noted that the demand forecasts for electricity, which underpin the plan, need urgent re-examination, and that the document does not take into account recent developments such as huge regional gas discoveries. Gas-fuelled power plants are quicker and cheaper to build.