South Africa halts nuclear procurement process over public consultation concerns

South Africa’s nuclear procurement process has been paused after legal scrutiny revealed a lack of public consultation. The initial Ministerial Determination, passed in 2020, aimed to procure 2.5GW of new nuclear capacity. However, Energy and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has withdrawn the gazette to allow for public participation, delaying the process by three to six months.

Ramokgopa emphasized the importance of transparency and public confidence, stating that the delay is necessary to ensure the integrity of the process. The Democratic Alliance (DA) party, which had initiated legal action against the determination, hailed the decision as a victory for the rule of law and transparency.

The DA will continue to scrutinize the demand profile to determine if nuclear energy is necessary and appropriate for South Africa’s future energy needs. South Africa currently operates the continent’s only nuclear power station, the Koeberg nuclear plant, with a capacity of 1.9GW, providing 5% of the country’s electricity through state-run utility Eskom.