Cape Town — Minister in The Presidency responsible for Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced that South Africa will soon begin the procurement process for some 2,500MW of nuclear energy. Ramokgopa said that national power utility Eskom's current power station fleet is ageing - meaning that South Africa will have to generate additional sources of energy.
The announcement comes less than a month after the World Bank Board said a U.S.$1 billion Development Policy Loan was offered to support the government's efforts to promote long-term energy security and a low carbon transition. Additionally, the government's pursuit of nuclear energy comes amid the nation's main reliance on coal; South Africa is currently ranked eighth in the world in terms of the total amount of coal used for electricity generation, according to The Conversation. About 85% of the nation's electricity is produced in coal power plants.
It also comes as plans for a Just Energy Transition (JET) - which is defined by the implementation of climate policy in a way that is as fair and inclusive and leaves no one behind, according to the Paris Agreement - which saw Presidential Climate Commission Commissioner Joanne Yawitch announce in 2022 that South Africa requires an initial funding of about U.S.$86 billion (R1.5 trillion) to transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society for the five-year period 2023-2027.
South Africa is in the midst of a protracted energy crisis which has had a marked negative impact on productivity and safety since 2007.
