Interested parties will from Monday be able to comment on Eskom’s application for nuclear installation site licences in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, the power utility announced on Monday.
Earlier this month, the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) approved the extension of the deadline for public comment on the application.
“The notice of the extension of the comment period was published in the National Gazette on Friday last week (16 September 2016) and in the Provincial Gazette today, 19 September,” Eskom said in a statement.
Eskom first published the notices for public comment in newspapers in and around Thyspunt in the Eastern Cape and Duynefontyn in the Western Cape on July 29, as well as in the Western Cape government gazette. The deadline was August 29.
“The notice in the Eastern Cape Provincial Gazette could only be published on 8 August. While the notices in the ten newspapers and the Western Cape Provincial Gazette complied with the period of 30 days that is prescribed in the National Nuclear Regulator Act (NNR Act), the notice in the Eastern Cape Provincial Gazette did not.”
Eskom then approached the NNR for an extension of the deadline. The new deadline for public comment is October 19.
Government intends adding 9.6 GW of nuclear energy to the national power grid.