Pylons carry power from South Africa's Koeberg nuclear power plant near Cape Town August 13, 2015. Fears are growing in South Africa that agreements to build nuclear power plants that could be the most expensive procurement in the country's history will be made behind closed doors, without the necessary public scrutiny. Construction on the first plant is due to start next year, breakneck speed compared with the years of regulatory and environmental checks for nuclear projects in countries such as Britain and the United States. Picture taken August 13, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
Pylons carry power from South Africa's Koeberg nuclear power plant near Cape Town August 13, 2015. Fears are growing in South Africa that agreements to build nuclear power plants that could be the most expensive procurement in the country's history will be made behind closed doors, without the necessary public scrutiny. Construction on the first plant is due to start next year, breakneck speed compared with the years of regulatory and environmental checks for nuclear projects in countries such as Britain and the United States. Picture taken August 13, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
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SA issues request for information on new nuclear build programme

South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy took another step toward building a new nuclear-power program with a request for information.
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By Paul Burkhardt

(Bloomberg) – South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy took another step toward building a new nuclear-power programme.

The department issued a request for information on Sunday for 2,500 megawatts of capacity, the ministry said in a statement. Submissions will close on September 15.

"This will enable the department to gain insight into the cost of the program, possible ownership structures, cost recovery, the end-user cost and sustainability," it said.

South Africa said last month that it plans to expand nuclear capacity within the next five years. The broader effort also includes extending the life of the existing Koeberg nuclear plant near Cape Town beyond 2024 and the replacement of the SAFARI-1 research reactor in Pelindaba near Johannesburg with a multi-purpose one.

A drive for additional nuclear facilities largely faded after the ruling party forced Jacob Zuma to step down as president in 2018. Additional plants were widely considered unaffordable, and the nation's economic slump has further dented the government's ability to pay for them.

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe told lawmakers in May that a contract may be awarded to "develop a modular nuclear station on a build, operate and transfer basis, and that means no there will be no immediate call for funding from the state."

Gwede Mantashe
Koeberg
Nuclear power

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