Costs, risks of nuclear have come down, says govt as it prepares for procurement

As government prepares to launch a tender for nuclear power before the financial year end, it says the cost of nuclear technologies is coming down, while the risks associated with such a project can be mitigated through the right business model.

That's according to Katse Maphoto, the Department of Energy's chief director of Nuclear Safety and Technology.

Although new nuclear is not part of South Africa's electricity infrastructure plans as detailed in the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019-2030, the document does recommend that preparations are made to procure 2 500MW of nuclear post-2030. As such, government has begun processes to procure the technology.