Clarity on SA nuclear power in a few days

SOUTH Africa’s position on nuclear power is likely to be clearer in the next few days when Energy Minister Jeff Radebe appears in Parliament to brief MPS on whether it’s officially off the table or not.

Fikile Majola, chairman of the portfolio committee on energy, said yesterday Radebe would be before them in the week of April 17 to talk about independent power producers (IPP), nuclear power and the sale of the country’s oil reserves.

Majola said he was unaware if there was a firm decision to scrap nuclear, but Radebe would shed light on this.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in Davos, Switzerland, in January nuclear was off the table. This was followed by former finance minister Malusi Gigaba and his successor Nhlanhla Nene saying nuclear was unaffordable.

Majola said he was not aware that nuclear was off the table. “The committee is not aware of what is going to happen except what the president has said. In the first week when we come back we will have the minister talk about the IPPS, nuclear and the outstanding report on the Strategic Fuel Fund. We will check with the minister what is happening with nuclear,” said Majola.

Rumours have abounded that nuclear is done and dusted.

The government this week signed several agreements with IPPS with values amounting to R55.6 billion.

This elicited an angry response from the National Union of Mineworkers and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa.

When he took over the portfolio in February from David Mahlobo, Radebe said he would give clarity on nuclear later. Radebe was expected to come to Parliament in a week’s time to do so.

When the matter was in court, the High Court in the Western Cape said there would not be any nuclear deal until the matter went to Parliament.

However, Ramaphosa said it was off the table and did not even mention it in his State of the Nation Address.

Russian energy firm Rosatom told Independent Media recently it was still bidding for nuclear and had not heard anything from the government.

Rosatom has signed a number of agreements in Africa to deliver nuclear. In Egypt the Russians bagged a deal worth $30bn, $25bn of which will be vendor financing.

This week President Vladimir Putin was in Turkey, where Rosatom will build a $20bn nuclear plant on the Mediterranean coast.

Head of Rosatom in Southern Africa Viktor Polikakorv said recently they were into Africa as well, in Ghana and moving into East Africa.