Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe said they will procure nuclear energy. Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has continued to punt the nuclear build programme, saying nuclear was the cheapest source of energy.
This was after Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced a few months ago that they will procure 2,500MW of nuclear energy.
However, Ramokgopa did not indicate the cost of building a nuclear power plant.
Mantashe said on Wednesday they have not yet tested the market on the cost of the nuclear plant, but nuclear was cheaper than renewable energy.
The minister was part of the Ministers in the Economics Cluster who were answering questions in Parliament.
Mantashe said they have not established the cost of the nuclear project.
The government would get a clear indication once the Request for Proposals has been issued.
“Once we issue the Request for Proposal then we would have tested the market. Once we have tested the market, we will know the appetite of the market for the nuclear build programme. Only then can we answer your question completely because the reality of the matter is that at this point in time, our experience is that nuclear is the most efficient and cost-effective generator of energy today, if you look at Koeberg.
“It is the most effective and most efficient. It is a little bit stiff at commissioning and decommissioning, But when it is operational, it gives us the lowest cost of electricity. It gives just over 40c per unit, when our renewables, Bid Window 1 gave us about R6 per unit, Bid Window 2 gave us about R3 per unit, Bid Window 3 gave us R2 per unit and the more reasonable, which is R1.10 is Bid Window 4,” said Mantashe.
He added that when they deal with energy problems they must not exaggerate any aspects of it.
He said nuclear was still a better option for South Africa.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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