Eskom pylons near the Koeberg nuclear power station near Melkbosstrand in the Western Cape. Picture: MARK WESSELS
The department has released a request for information regarding the Nuclear New Build Power Procurement Programme. The purpose is to solicit information that will assist planning. This is noteworthy as it is the second RFI by the department in six months, in a bid to ensure a secure energy supply. In 2018 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Nuclear Energy Agency identified three components that make up the full costs of electricity provision. These are:per megawatt-hour . This is where the SA public discourse begins and ends.
Besides electricity, nuclear has other benefits. For example, SA is a global player in nuclear-related medicine such as radioisotopes.