South Africa needs to tread carefully if it is to pursue its nuclear build plans, particularly in light of recent events that require a “nuclear rethink”, suggests University of Johannesburg Department of Physics head Hartmut Winkler.
Over the past five years, the dynamics of the nuclear environment had been overshadowed by political controversy, “Nenegate” and State capture accusations, a downward projection in energy demand and the rapid cost decreases in renewable-energy technologies, especially photovoltaics, along with the success of the renewable-energy programme, he said.
While safety is a public concern following the Fukushima disaster, of all the issues surrounding nuclear, this was probably the smallest risk, as it was “very unlikely” an accident would occur, despite there being no safety guarantee, Winkler told delegates at the Power-Gen Africa conference last week.
“The economic arguments are the ones that matter [more],” he said of the programme that could cost an entire year of current government expenditure, amid heightened controversy and upheaval around State capture, unexpected Ministerial appointments and “influence peddling”.
Further, there was opposition from political parties and civil society, he noted.
“No projects of this magnitude should ever be entered into unless they are viable and affordable. Everything surrounding them must be transparent, and the best deal must be sought.
“South Africa has a bad history of large-scale corruption allegations in megaprojects,” he explained, adding that, despite the denials over the “deep suspicion” that Russian nuclear giant Rosatom had already been selected to be part of South Africa’s nuclear build, the controversy lingered.
“The nuclear build will only be successful if it receives widespread support,” Winkler said.
However, Rosatom regional VP for sub-Saharan Africa Viktor Polikarpov said nuclear energy was misunderstood and unjustly criticised, with South Africa presenting a ready case study in what could be done with nuclear power station development.
The entire world was going nuclear, he said, with 70% public acceptance in the regions with established nuclear industries.
However, it is not only about building a nuclear power plant, it is about offering solutions.
Nuclear energy has a low carbon footprint, low greenhouse-gas emissions, efficient cost management, forward planning of power supply to grid and energy security.
“Nuclear is the cheapest, most environment-friendly and sustainable source of electricity,” Polikarpov said, pointing out that it had “great” socioeconomic impacts in the form of job creation, a tax boost for government, skills and localisation and energy security.
State-owned power utility Eskom acting chief nuclear officer David Nicholls said the parastatal was “excited” about nuclear development, considering the reliable and consistent performance of South Africa’s current nuclear power station, Koeberg.