Eskom, CDC sign Thyspunt nuclear build MoU
As South Africa “gears up” for its Nuclear New Build Programme (NNBP), State-owned power utility Eskom has joined hands with the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) as its partner on the ground at the preferred Thyspunt site, in the Eastern Cape, for the construction of the programme’s first nuclear power reactors.
Eskom, which had applied for the environmental authorisation for the first 4 000 MW of reactors, was undertaking preparatory activity in the event that the site is endorsed and the green light given, Eskom NNBP acting GM Loyiso Tyabashe said earlier this month.
In line with this, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Eskom and the CDC is aimed at building localisation capacity through supplier and skills development related to the programme’s infrastructure.
Outlining the basis of the MoU during the signing ceremony at Eskom’s Megawatt Park headquarters, in Sunninghill, Tyabashe noted that this was in line with the prior and current draft Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) for the country.
“There is a huge opportunity to leverage the entire industry chain, [and] develop the skills [and businesses] for the development of the programme,” CDC business development executive manager Christopher Mashigo added.
Eskom executive for group capital Abram Masango said that, while Eskom sought to deliver reliable, decarbonised baseload power, it was critical to lay the foundation for local meaningful participation during the project’s development through job creation and upskilling, as well as the provision of business opportunities.
The power utility had based its development plans on the IRP 2010, which outlined the first new nuclear unit by 2023. However, with an updated plan currently under consideration, Eskom anticipated this to influence those previously determined timelines and the pace of the group’s nuclear development plans.
Despite this uncertainty, Eskom aimed to ensure that upfront development got under way and the requisite skills and approvals were secured to prevent any delays when construction got the go-ahead.
The MoU covers project management and implementation services for infrastructure; skills development and localisation; stakeholder engagement and communications; provision of the requisite skills training during the various stages of the project; socioeconomic development studies of the impact of the NNBP; and fitness for duty centre processes.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation