Energy Minister says nuclear procurement process stalled – DA
South African Energy Minister has informed a committee of parliament that the next phase of the nuclear procurement process has been stalled indefinitely, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party said on Wednesday.
Africa's most industrialised economy was expected to finalise some requirements for its nuclear expansion by April, with Russia and China the front-runners to win the bid, Reuters reported in February.
Pretoria has earmarked billions of rand for much needed power generation but the nuclear build of 9 600 MW by 2030 at a price tag of up to R1-trillion ($66-billion) has raised concerns over whether it would be affordable.
The DA, the country's biggest opposition party, said that minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson had informed the parliamentary committee that an April 1 deadline in the procurement process had not been met and that no new date for the issuing of the request for proposal had been set.
The party said in a statement that this meant "that the procurement process is now in limbo."
Officials at the energy ministry were not available to comment.
Fears that the nuclear project could be the most expensive procurement in the country's history and that decisions could be made behind closed doors, without the necessary public scrutiny have been raised by the opposition. The government has said the procurement will be conducted in a transparent manner.
"While today’s admission is a victory for the people of South Africa who cannot afford to bear the burden of an ill-advised and unaffordable nuclear program, the DA will not rest until the project has been abandoned outright," the DA shadow minister of energy Gordon Mackay said.
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