Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is set to announce the government’s latest strategy on nuclear energy this Friday. The strategy forms a key component of South Africa’s future energy mix, which has been under development as part of the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
Under the IRP, the government plans to source 2,500MW of electricity generation capacity from nuclear energy. However, this proposal has faced strong opposition from various civil society organizations and the Democratic Alliance (DA), who cite concerns over the high costs and potential safety risks associated with nuclear power.
Francesca de Gasparis, Executive Director of the Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute, expressed her concerns, stating, “We’ve been closely monitoring energy decision-making for several years. In 2017, we joined Earthlife in a legal battle against the government's nuclear procurement process, which the high court found to be illegal and unconstitutional. We are now once again mounting a legal challenge, arguing that the current approach to introducing new nuclear energy lacks sufficient public participation and consultation, and it’s unclear if it aligns with the IRP 2019.”
As the government moves forward with its nuclear energy plans, the upcoming announcement by Minister Ramokgopa is expected to shed light on the future direction of the country’s energy policy, amidst ongoing debate and legal scrutiny.
