Nuke plan leaves us in the dark

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, with great fanfare on Tuesday, announced that all the regulatory requirements had now been met with the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) to give Eskom the go-ahead for the procurement of 2 500 megawatts of nuclear energy.

Hooray! Whether you believe nuclear energy is the way to go to get us off coal or not, at least it sounds as if something is being done in a bid to end load shedding after a disastrous 2023 – the most power cuts since it was forced down South Africans’ throats over a decade ago.

But wait… there’s a disclaimer. Even though the process is expected to start in March 2024 by issuing a request for proposal, the first unit will only be commissioned somewhere between 2032 and 2033.

ALSO READ: Government seeking ‘legal interpretation’ of load shedding court order – Ramokgopa

So no Christmas gift for you after all, as it will make no difference to load shedding as things stand now. Also, no details of the request for proposals, including the type of nuclear technology to be procured, were revealed.

So, big on news, little on detail. The jury is still out whether nuclear energy is cheaper than other options, with experts divided.

Many believe this process is flawed as a public process still needs to be carried out, while others have questioned the timing of the announcement, asking “why the rush now?”

Earthlife Africa director Makoma Lekalakala is not convinced, saying the announcement was not “going to assist in alleviating load shedding, because any form of nuclear construction will likely take 20 or more years to complete”.

She said: “It’s surprising how the announcement on the 2 500MW ministerial determination is made by the minister of electricity.

ALSO READ: Nersa approves process to secure 2,500MW nuclear power

This is something we expected to be announced by Nersa …. Section 34 also mentions that any electricity generation option has got to be the least cost option and we know that nuclear is not the least cost.”

Such a big decision, yet it feels like we are still left in the dark – literally and figuratively…