A procurement plan of 9 600 megawatts of nuclear-generated power will become state-owned utility Eskom’s focus upon completing the refurbishment of existing power plants.
“Eskom has done many studies about nuclear power and we are dusting those off. These include the environmental impact assessments and where the nuclear power stations should be located,” Eskom CEO Brian Molefe was cited by Bloomberg news as saying.
The procurement plan includes the development of eight nuclear reactors, estimated to cost from $37 billion to $100 billion.
South Africa is a water-scarce country, and its coal reserves are depleting. Nuclear power provides an alternative form of energy production, with Koeberg Nuclear Power Station near Cape Town – Africa’s only nuclear power plant – providing 4.4% of South Africa’s total electricity needs since 1984, according to Eskom’s website.
