Eskom forges ahead with plans to build small 100MW nuclear reactors
Utility set to expand renewable energy baseload capacity, replacing coal-fired power stations
ESKOM is forging ahead with plans to build renewable energy baseload capacity, including nuclear and battery storage, which will replace the coal-fired power stations in Mpumalanga when they get decommissioned in the years to come.
Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom’s group executive for generation, said yesterday that the power utility was looking at building small 100MW modular nuclear reactors as part of its build programme at decommissioned coal sites.
Nxumalo said this was part of the ministerial determination for the procurement of 2 500MW of new generation capacity from nuclear, which was announced by Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in December.
He said Eskom would need some levels of baseload, in addition to the small reactors, before it goes ahead with the decommissioning of the Komati Power Station in a bid to keep the economic activities going.
“There is a compact type compared to the bigger reactors. The 100MW is going to be a small reactor. They call it a demonstration plant. So that is what is currently part of the approved (programme) now,” Nxumalo said.
“We are just waiting for the Cabinet decision to finalise the modalities of procurement. We are going to get the demonstration plant that is going to be 100MW of the 2 500MW to test the concept first. Between Nersa and us, we will be doing that demonstration plant.”
Nxumalo was speaking on the sidelines of The Business Partners Ltd Small Business Institute SME Indaba in Johannesburg where he delivered a keynote address.
Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station this week marked 40 years of safe nuclear operation of its Unit 1 reactor.
The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has also granted Eskom a licence to continue operating Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1, which provides 930MW to the grid, for another 20 years until July 21, 2044.
Last week, Ramokgopa doubled down on the nuclear build programme, saying South Africa would seek to build a nuclear plant at “a scale and speed that we can afford”.
However, civil society groups, Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg yesterday announced that they would be seeking to set aside Ramokgopa’s Section 34 determination to procure 2 500MW of new nuclear energy capacity.
The organisations argue that the determination is unlawful and unconstitutional because the process has, thus far, been procedurally unfair.
SAFCEI and Earthlife submitted
detailed representations to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) during the public consultation process, raising critical issues they said were supported by an expert report.
“Nersa’s failure to make the DMRE’s report available to the public for further comment was procedurally unfair. Furthermore, we believe the issue was muddied further when the Minister of Electricity published the Minister of Energy’s 2020 determination because, previously, in March 2023, the power to make such determinations was transferred from the Minister of Energy to the Minister of Electricity,” said SAFCEI’s Francesca de Gaspari.
“In our opinion, then, no determination has been made that new nuclear generation capacity was needed, as required by the empowering legislation. The evidence submitted by the DMRE is that Nersa has purportedly satisfied the suspensive conditions.”
Nxumalo also said Eskom was looking at opportunities to get into manufacturing battery and solar PV components, particularly around the stations that would be decommissioned, in a bid to secure supply chains and revive economic activity.
“We can’t just be the receiver of the batteries. Some of them we need to start making here in the country,” Nxumalo said. We are looking for companies that are really prepared to go with us because it’s easy for me to say, I’m just going to go somewhere and buy these batteries here, but that’s not sustainable.
“Our research team is working very hard to do that. Even the PVs as well, it’s critical for us as Eskom that we create these economic activities around these stations.”
Asked if Eskom would be willing to invest capital in such projects, Nxumalo said it should be a combination of public and private sector funding.
“Because if you leave the cost to the industry only, then you can’t have control. So whatever we will be involved in in our space, we want to be part of that.
“Obviously we are happy to work with some of the private sector as part of the co-investment as well in terms of this. The National Treasury has already approved this PPP approach in terms of private partnership as well. So that’s what we are looking for.”