nuclear-news

Political factors and funding problems delay South Africa’s new nuclear reactor

Nuclear reactor now delayed until 2025  IOL February 13 2015 Cape Town – The nuclear industry says “political delays” have pushed the completion date for the country’s first new nuclear reactor from 2023 to 2025.

Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (Niasa) managing director Knox Msebenzi told delegates at the 2nd Nuclear Industry Congress in Africa 2015 in Sea Point yesterday that the association had met some nuclear vendors wanting to sell their technology to South Africa, and would meet others. The vendors the industry was talking to were Areva, Westinghouse, Rosatom, Kepco (Korea Electric Power Corporation) and China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC).

“The first plant was due in 2023, but it’s been very delayed. Part of the delay has to do with politics. The latest date is 2025, but there may be other delays. Maybe we’re perceived by government as not ready. We’ve got many vendors wanting to participate,” Msebenzi said…….

Msebenzi quoted International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Yukiya Am-ano, who said the two biggest challenges facing any country that embarked on a nuclear energy programme were funding and human resource capability. He dismissed the funding issue: “Funding is not up to the industry, it is really for government to look after,” Msebenzi said……..

National Treasury said this month no money had been budgeted for the nuclear build programme in the next three years. http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/news/nuclear-reactor-now-delayed-until-2025-1.1818031#.VN5jT-aUcnk

February 14, 2015 - Posted by Christina MacPherson | politics, South Africa