South Africa is considering enriching its own uranium to fuel new nuclear power plants — including pebble-bed modular reactors — to be built in coming decades, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Tuesday.
Speaking in Cape Town at the opening of the French-South African Energy Conference, she said her department is finalising an energy and technology strategy that will ”outline a vision” for the country’s nuclear future.
The strategy, once completed, is expected to pave the way for the development, design, construction, commissioning, demonstration and commercial operation of ”innovative and conventional nuclear power plants … based on international bidding by nuclear vendors”.
These include vendors from France, she said, giving credence to media reports that leading French nuclear companies are making a play to get in on the construction of South Africa’s second conventional nuclear plant, expected to be built near the existing Koeberg plant.
”The ultimate goal of South Africa is to realise localisation of fabrication of nuclear components involved in all aspects of nuclear power generation and the nuclear fuel cycle,” the minister said.
Any new investment in nuclear base-load electricity-generation capacity will require nuclear fuel over a 40- to 60-year horizon.
Global interest
”The renewed global interest in nuclear power and the planned investments in new generation capacity in South Africa present an opportunity for a reassessment of the opportunities that can accrue from beneficiation of uranium in South Africa,” Sonjica said.
”One of these opportunities would be localised nuclear fuel manufacturing, thereby ensuring rand-denominated fuel cost for nuclear power plants with savings on foreign exchange and creation of a significant quantity of jobs through beneficiation.
”The South African mining industry has already positioned itself by increasing exploration activities, and there has also been a significant increase in the number of applications for uranium mining rights. This on its own will create a sizeable number of new jobs,” she said.
South Africa currently imports enriched uranium fuel for use in the Koeberg nuclear plant, on the Cape’s West Coast.
Move away from coal
Sonjica said electricity generation in South Africa is over-reliant on coal-powered plants.
”The over-reliance on coal needs to be reduced, particularly as investment is being made into new national electricity-generation capacity.
”This reduction will, among others, pre-empt future constraints on the economy and potential penalties on South African products, which could arise due to carbon-intensive electricity generation.”
Global climate change has led many countries to consider seriously the nuclear energy option for electricity generation.
”This environmental concern, coupled with a reduction in uranium stocks in many countries, has led to an increase in the price of uranium,” she said.
Present at the conference on Tuesday was French Industry Minister Francois Loos. — Sapa