Nuclear power blackmail?

The process by the government
to expand nuclear power
generation is continuing,
according to president Jacob
Zuma, despite the Treasury
saying funds for the project are
not immediately available.
However, this has been
challenged by a large number
of critics who have concluded
that costs will be prohibitive
and have questioned the
transparency around the
process.
But backing Zuma was
Eskom’s CEO Brian Molefe,
who was indulging in what
commentators said was
“nuclear power blackmail”.
Nuclear power “blackout”
may be a better definition of
Molefe’s reasoning, as he said
that “SA will return to dire
electricity shortages by 2030
unless it enters the active
planning stages of a nuclear
power expansion programme
soon”.
This argument from
Molefe was supported by
what can only be described as
a rather ridiculous situation
surrounding the construction
of the Medupi and Kusile coalbased
power stations.
He told parliament that
the missed deadlines and cost
escalations were a result of
the construction starting in
a “knee-jerk” rush before the
plans had been finalised.
He put this down to the
government of the time
ignoring an Eskom warning in
1998 of an impending power
crisis.
A similar crisis, Molefe
added, would take place as early
as 2028 if the nuclear option
was delayed.
“We must not make the same
mistake we made with Kusile
and Medupi and start building
when we are not ready,” he told
a select committee on public
enterprises.
Molefe also disagreed with
the host of local critics who
have pointed out that the
overall cost of the planned
nuclear build would exceed a
trillion rand, an amount which
they added could “bankrupt”
SA. He also ignored the
findings from many overseas
countries that nuclear had
outlived its time and was now
a much too expensive option
– especially compared to the
fast-reducing cost of the ‘green’
alternatives, like solar and wind
power.
These arguments he said
were “exaggerated”. And,
in response, he came up
with what FTW was told
by business experts was a
“totally unproven” statement:
That the 80-year lifespan
of nuclear reactors meant
the enterprise would pay for
itself.
And Molefe had nothing to
say regarding numerous press
reports that this trillion-rand
deal left many millions (even
billions?) open to corrupt
practices.
“I am a not a politician,
I cannot comment on
corruption,” he said.
CAPTION
Eskom CEO Brian Molefe
is backing Zuma.