Nuclear power in South Africa

South Africa is the only country in Africa with a commercial nuclear power plant.[1]

Koeberg Nuclear Power Station

Two reactors located at the Koeberg nuclear power station accounts for around 5% of South Africa's electricity production.[2] Spent fuel is disposed of at Vaalputs Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility in the Northern Cape.

The SAFARI-1 tank in pool[3] research reactor is located at the Pelindaba nuclear research centre in Gauteng.

New build
Nuclear power plants in South Africa
 Active plants
 Sites of potential plants

Plans for new nuclear power have been scaled back, and new build is now considered unlikely before 2030.

The 2010 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) envisaged building 9,600 MWe of new nuclear power capacity by building between six and eight new nuclear reactors by 2030, which would cost about R1 trillion.[4][5]

In 2016, an updated draft IRP was published which set a much lower and slower nuclear target, due to lower demand projections and increased capital cost. This updated IRP envisaged that the first new nuclear power plant would only need to be online by 2041.[2]

South Africa's 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) plans a 20 year life-extension for Koeberg to 2044, and a delayed nuclear new build programme due to the "marginal cost of [nuclear] generation, in comparison to other options" with a scenario that may build new capacity after 2030.

Criticism

There was much concern about the cost of the endeavour, as well as the probability for corruption, due to the lack of transparency in the procurement processes and the disregard of civic society.[6][7] President at the time Jacob Zuma nevertheless pushed ahead with plans to secure nuclear power.[8]

Legality

Following the Public Protector's "State of Capture" report, which implicated him and Jacob Zuma in the peddling of state patronage, Brian Molefe resigned from his position as executive chief of Eskom on 1 January 2017. However, analysts noted that corruption at Eskom was deep-rooted and that Molefe's resignation would not resolve the nuclear question.[9] In April 2017, Eskom requested that the Treasury department waive procurement regulations for the new nuclear plants, claiming that Eskom "had done a lot of the work prior" and that these efforts were adequate. The Democratic Alliance objected on the grounds that this would embark the state on its "single biggest public procurement without fully assessing associated risks and consequences for SA’s economy".[8]

On 26 April 2017, following a legal application by Earthlife Africa and the Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute, the Western Cape High Court declared that the South African government's new nuclear procurement processes had been unlawful because they had not followed due processes. The court noted that the National Energy Regulator, Parliament, and the Energy Minister must all be involved in the process. All of the subsequent existing contracts with Russia, the US, and South Korea were therefore found to be void.[10][11][12]

Costs

The R1 trillion cost of the proposed new nuclear project played a part in ratings downgrades by international credit ratings agencies.[8]

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, who opposed new nuclear installations on the grounds of the steep cost, was replaced by Malusi Gigaba in March, 2017.[13] Gigaba is responsible for filling the vacancy of chief procurement officer at the Treasury, which would make decisions about procurement processes regarding the new nuclear project.[8]

Life extension of Koeberg

In January 2018, Eskom's acting Chief Financial Officer stated that the company cannot afford a new nuclear build, following a 34% drop in interim profits due to declining sales and increasing financing costs. The government stated it will proceed with the plan but more slowly.[14] The draft 2018 IRP does not call for new nuclear power, partly due to declining electricity demand, forecast 30% lower than in the previous IRP.[15]

South Africa's 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) plans a 20 year life-extension for Koeberg to 2044, and a delayed nuclear new build programme due to the "marginal cost of [nuclear] generation, in comparison to other options" with a scenario that may build new capacity after 2030. Small modular reactors may become an attractive option, dependent on earlier demonstration elsewhere in the world.[16]

Small modular reactors
Further information: Pebble bed modular reactor

Small modular reactors in the form of the pebble bed reactor design was invested in by the South African government; one such project was the Pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR).[17] In February 2010, the South African government announced that it had stopped funding the development of the pebble bed modular reactor after investing 80% of the R9.24 billion (2010) (equivalent to R14.28 billion or US$1.08 billion in 2018)[18].[19] Personnel from the defunct PBMR took their expertise to X-energy, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and the Pretoria-based Stratek Global.[20]

Nuclear expertise in South Africa

AREVA built the twin units of the Koeberg nuclear power plant. In 2001, AREVA NP ( renamed Framatome in 2018 ) bought a 45% stake in LESEDI Nuclear Services, followed by a further 6% stake in 2006. Today Framatome is a majority shareholder in Lesedi Nuclear Services.

In 2016, the IAEA Concluded a Long Term Operational Safety Review at South Africa’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant. The Pre-SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation) review mission was requested by the Government of South Africa’s Department of Energy. "A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe Long Term Operation of nuclear power plants".

Other Nuclear Energy news and more reading:

See also

References
  1. Hinshaw, Drew. "Africa looks to nuclear power". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  2. "Nuclear Power in South Africa". Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  3. Vlok, JWH. "REACTOR OPERATIONS AT SAFARI-1" (PDF). Manager: Reactor Operations SAFARI-1 Research Reactor NECSA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  4. "Anti nuclear activist sheds light on SA, Russia deal". eNCA. 2015-08-23. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  5. Lionel Faull (23 March 2012). "South Africa's nightmare nuclear bill". Mail & Guardian Online. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  6. "South Africa slows nuclear power expansion plans". Reuters. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  7. Ensor, Linda (21 April 2017). "Power utility Eskom will seek waivers on nuclear rules". BusinessDay. South Africa. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  8. Ensor, Linda (2017-04-21). "Power utility Eskom will seek waivers on nuclear rules". Business Day. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  9. Pather, Ra'eesa (2016-11-11). "Brian Molefe resigns from Eskom". The M&G Online. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  10. "Western Cape High Court declared that government's nuclear procurement processes to date have been unlawful". omny.fm. 2017-04-26. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  11. "Nuclear deal decision: Parliamentary process not followed". www.enca.com. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  12. Ensor, Linda (2017-04-26). "Back to square one for Eskom as judge sets nuclear decisions aside". Business Day. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  13. "South Africa's controversial nuclear power plans". Deutsche Welle. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  14. "South Africa's nuclear plans under reconsideration". Nuclear Engineering International. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  15. "Nuclear remains static under South African plan". World Nuclear News. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  16. "Nuclear remains in South Africa's energy plans". World Nuclear News. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  17. Kemm, Dr Kelvin. "SA's nuclear pebble bed reactor could get second chance". Business. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  18. South Africa – Consumer price index, International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics and data files.
  19. "World Nuclear Association - World Nuclear News". www.world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  20. "HTMR-100 team aim for pebble bed SMR in South Africa : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News". www.world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
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