NucNet – How does nuclear fit into the South African governmentÂ’s energy policy?

Peters: In May this year our president set up an inter-ministerial committee on energy to draft the second Integrated Resource Plan* (IRP). We had already started a debate about nuclear as a source of baseload electricity, especially because of the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Our president was one of the key players in the Copenhagen accord and we were not obliged to sign or subscribe to that accord because we are one of the annex countries. So for us to be able to meet our own long-term climate change mitigation scenarios, we need to look at an alternative baseload electricity supply. We have considered renewables as part of our IRP and are already investing in concentrated solar power and in wind power. But we know these are elements we cannot really rely on. For security of supply purposes, we need a baseload that would almost equal that produced by coal or be even bigger than coal, so that is why we are looking at nuclear.

NucNet – Can we now expect new build in South Africa?

Peters: We want a fleet of reactors, and although the department of energy hasn’t decided on a number of reactors, we are finalising details and will soon be taking this to the cabinet. There will be an initial decision by the cabinet which should be made by September, and that decision will be ‘yesÂ’ to nuclear.

NucNet – But South Africa has announced its intention to develop more nuclear capacity before.

Peters: Yes, if we look back to 2007, South Africa set out a tender for bids for a nuclear plant but then the bids came in and the costing indicated that if we had to invest such a large amount of money, then we had to have the next phase of our national nuclear energy plan ready. We couldn’t just spend that amount on a single nuclear new build project. We had to have a broader nuclear energy plan. Now we need a larger pool of suppliers and countries which could support us with new build: a wider range of technologies from around the world from which we could choose.

NucNet – With government support for nuclear, what are the next steps?

Peters: Firstly, cabinet decides that nuclear is the route to take [for baseload electricity generation]. Then we call for feasibility studies, which will be probably later this year. These feasibility studies would then lead to an investor conference. Cabinet will give us the go ahead to host this showcase, inviting all the major international players. But if international companies are to work here, we need to establish what can be sourced locally. We need to engage our local capacity because the South African government Industrial Policy Action Plan calls on us to ensure that every Rand that we spend must have a “localisation” aspect, or local interest. This investor conference will give us an opportunity to assess what local manufacturers are available and what is needed. If we had a new fleet of reactors we could significantly boost local steel and other industries. That is also why the investor conference should be held, involving a partnership between the department of trade and industry, the department of economic development, and the department of energy.

NucNet – You have also spoken of a “re-invention” of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project.  What do you mean by this?

Peters: I have indicated that the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA) has started to manufacture or develop the areas which we feel will be very important. At the moment, several processes are happening in parallel, and that is why I said that PBMR has been re-invented. The re-invention of PBMR will make it more relevant to the needs of the country, and not just a question of what our R&D can provide for the world. We need something that can also work for us here in South Africa.

NucNet – In terms of communications and public acceptance, has the department of energy developed any plans to allow the public to relate to nuclear more easily?

Peters: Yes, but this is done within the context of energy security. What I want is the active involvement of nuclear specialists in South Africa, such as the young people who have attended IYNC 2010 in Cape Town. They are the first line of people who can address myths about nuclear energy. If anything, on a basic level, the mothers of young professionals who work on nuclear sites can say ‘nothing bad has happened to me, and my child is working in this environment.’ This will start to dispel the fear which ordinary people feel about nuclear.

The South African government also needs to show our people that there was a conscious decision by the government to abandon its nuclear weapons programme. We want to say: “We are using nuclear to heal the nation [with nuclear medicine], to feed the nation, provide water and provide electricity.” When people see international headlines about Iran and North Korea, they are asking themselves what these countries will use nuclear technology for. So we certainly need to explain and contextualise nuclear in relation to our people. In my speeches I try to talk about nuclear in a language that everyone can understand.

The reason why we had the mayor of Cape Town at IYNC 2010 is that Cape Town is receiving 1,800 megawatts of electricity from Koeberg nuclear power plant. If we have a debate about nuclear in parliament, then I will say to those against nuclear: “Okay… let’s switch off the lights.” Or members of parliament can come and visit Koeberg instead, just like schoolchildren are doing. But schoolchildren are the future, and we need decisions now.

NucNet – You have underlined the challenges South Africa faces given that a significant proportion of communities are not connected to the grid. What can you add to this?

Peters: It is true that we have communities which are still not connected. We are facing another challenge in that some renewables are still expensive and remain untested technologies – carbon capture and storage (CCS) to take one example. But we are part of the carbon capture and sequestration leadership forum and we want to see clean coal.

South Africa has a real need for power, with a growing economy and a citizenry which demands electricity. We also have the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to consider. These involve halving poverty and halving unemployment. One of the critical elements for poverty reduction is to grow the economy, and we cannot do this without access to power.

* The Integrated Resource Plan is a national electricity plan for South Africa which directs the long-term expansion of electricity supply and the development of a national nuclear strategy for electricity generation beyond 2020. For further information, see: http://www.energy.gov.za/files/irp_frame.html

Further Information:

Department of Energy, South Africa

South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA)

The International Youth Nuclear Congress 2010 was held between 12-18 July in Cape Town, South Africa in co-operation with the IAEA, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and European Nuclear Society.

IYNC Website

IYNC on Wikipedia