Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has announced that the Ministerial Determination for the procurement of 2 500MW of nuclear energy, has been withdrawn.
The Minister was speaking during a media briefing held on Friday in Pretoria.
The determination, and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (Nersa) concurrence of the process, had come under legal pressure with groups contending that, amongst others, public comments had not been sought and the procedure had not been fair.
"I have taken the decision...to withdraw the gazette to allow for that public participation to happen.
"The only time we got to know and be alerted that the process was not subjected to a public consultation process is when the [court] papers were filed and the Minister took the decision that we are withdrawing the gazette; we allow for that public participation so that the process is clean...and transparent," he told media.
WATCH | Minister Ramokgopa briefs media
In December last year, the Minister announced that South Africa would soon begin the procurement process for some 2 500MW of nuclear energy.
At a media briefing at the time, the Minister explained that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) had to satisfy a raft of rigorous National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) suspensive conditions, which took into account various factors before the go-ahead could be issued.
As a result of the withdrawal, the Minister said, the process for the procurement will be delayed.
"Of course, there's a penalty you pay as a result of this decision [in] that you are delaying the process. But we are happy to delay the process so that we are able to allow for each and every party in the country that wants to add a voice in how we are going to procure this process for them to be given the opportunity to be able to make that submission.
"So it will add another three to six months in the process. We are happy to do that for as long as we protect the integrity of the process; for as long as we cement the transparency of the process so that there's general public confidence in the work that we are doing.
READ | Nuclear power build will be at a scale "we can afford" - Minister Ramokgopa
"I want to give confidence to the South African public that we will take you every step of the way. We will carry South Africans every step of the way to preserve the integrity of any procurement process, including the nuclear procurement process especially given its checkered history," he explained.
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Energy mix
Despite the withdrawal, the procurement of nuclear energy still remains a government plan for the country's energy security.
Nuclear energy forms part of government's Integrated Resource Plan 2019's envisaged energy mix for South Africa.
"Nuclear is part of the mix. Nuclear is part of the future but it's important that as we go out...the procurement process must be able to stand the test of time. In this instance, it's the ability to be able to subject itself to scrutiny.
"Let's go back to that process; accord the public an opportunity to scrutinise, respond and then on the basis of that [Nersa] can make a determination on concurrence. Once we receive that, we'll issue the gazette and ensure that we procure," he said.
