Ramokgopa welcomes environmental approval for new nuclear facility in Cape Town
Eight years since appeals were lodged, Environment Minister Dion George on Friday gave the go-ahead for Eskom to proceed with the next phases of the project near its existing Koeberg station.
FILE: Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré brief members of the media on electricity distribution and generation performance on 12 August 2024. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has welcomed the environmental approval for a new nuclear facility in Cape Town, saying the project represents the next step in securing a stable baseload supply for future generations.
Eight years since appeals were lodged, Environment Minister Dion George on Friday gave the go-ahead for Eskom to proceed with the next phases of the project near its existing Koeberg station.
Ramokgopa said that nuclear would be a cornerstone of the country’s future energy mix and the project would create high-quality jobs, advance local industrial capabilities and foster skills development.
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Minister Ramogkopa said that the decision to overturn the appeals against environmental authorisation, which was granted in 2017, affirmed the importance of a rules-based and science-driven approach to energy development in South Africa.
Earlier this year, Ramokgopa announced that after years of controversy surrounding the expansion of nuclear power in South Africa, his department would be resetting the programme.
He said that nuclear energy had a central role to play in the country’s long-term energy security, alongside clean coal, renewable energy and gas, to provide reliable, dispatchable, low-carbon electricity.
"As we confront the dual imperatives of meeting growing electricity demand and achieving our climate change objectives, nuclear power offers a proven pathway to diversify the energy mix, enhance system stability and support inclusive economic growth," said Ramokgopa.
Ramokgopa said that South Africa had a proud record of operating nuclear facilities safely and efficiently, with the Koeberg nuclear power facility having been a key contributor to the national grid for more than 40 years.