17 Apr (NucNet): South Africa will make a decision this year on the country’s future investment in a fleet of nuclear power plants, public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba has said.
In a statement Mr Gigaba said South Africa “has little time” to reach a decision on how to meet its future energy requirements.
He said the national nuclear energy executive co-ordinating committee had been “working around the clock” debating issues relating to a possible nuclear build programme. According to the government’s Integrated Resource Plan, produced in 2010, South Africa should build 9.6 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity.
The committee incorporates the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa, nuclear operator Eskom, the National Nuclear Regulator, and government departments including the Department of Energy and the Department of Public Enterprises. The committee is chaired by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Mr Motlanthe has backed the establishment of a nuclear industry in South Africa, saying the country needs nuclear energy to meet future demand and that the industry could generate significant revenues once new reactors are in commercial operation.
According to the energy department, the government has promulgated plans for 9.6 GW of new nuclear capacity, but the tender process has not begun.
In September 2011, energy minister Dipuo Peters said she had “signed-off” a proposal for the roll-out of new nuclear power plants. The proposal details the decisions that are required and the governance framework of these decisions, the energy department said.
The energy department said the government recognises the “complexity and magnitude” of the new nuclear build programme and is putting in place the appropriate governance structures to “instil confidence in and protect the credibility of the process”.
South Africa has two commercially operational nuclear units at the Koeberg nuclear power plant. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the units account for about five percent of the country’s generated electricity.
Koeberg is South Africa’s only nuclear plant. Koeberg-1 began commercial operation in 1984 and Koeberg-2 in 1985. Both units are 930-megawatt pressurised water reactors.
In February 2013 a team of experts gathered by the IAEA carried out a review of South Africa’s nuclear infrastructure.
The IAEA said the South African government is committed to expanding its nuclear power programme, and asked the IAEA to carry out the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission to review its infrastructure and identify areas for improvement.
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