South Africa forges ahead with new nuclear plants
Despite the recent nuclear plant catastrophe at the Fukushima Daiiachi plant in Japan, South Africa said its plan to boost the country’s energy mix profile with an expected injection of over 9,000 megawatts from some new nuclear plant is on course.
Dipuo Peters, South Africa’s energy minister said that already arrangement to start an international procurement process for the planned nuclear fleet early 2012 has begun.
South Africa which is the only country in Africa currently running a nuclear plant intends to plug a dire power shortage between 2023 and 2030 with more nuclear power plants.
“To meet the 2023 target, we need to make decisions to be able to start the procurement early next year. The first mega watt must kick in by 2023 so that the lights can stay on,” peters said at a nuclear forum in South Africa recently.
The minister said the ministry had to revisit its safety protocols after the accident in Japan.
South Africa currently relies on coal for nearly all of its electricity but a new plan hatched in 2010 calls for 42 per cent of all new plants coming on stream between 2010 and 2030 to be based on green power with 23 per cent coming from nuclear.
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