Photo by: Bloomberg
South African Energy Minister Ben Martins has affirmed that the government wants the country to be globally competitive in the nuclear sector. "Our responsibility has always been ... to ensure that, in nuclear energy, South Africa can compete with the rest of the world," he said, pointing out that previously the country had only had a small number of nuclear specialists.
"South Africa, the South African Cabinet, the South African government, has committed to ensure our security of energy supply in South Africa by utilising the energy sources that we can, that we should, utilise," he stated. This includes nuclear, along with renewables and carbon-based energy (coal and gas). The government had committed to sourcing 16% of the country's energy from nuclear power.
Martins was delivering the opening address at Atomex Africa, a regional forum for the South African nuclear industry (and those local companies interested in becoming nuclear industry suppliers) organized by Russian State-owned nuclear group Rosatom, in Johannesburg, on Monday. "We are meeting, as government officials, as various officials from various departments, you [forum delegates] as stakeholders, others as potential stakeholders, to interact on how to enhance our relationship with Rosatom," he observed. "[And] how to make the greater South African public aware of the potential that exists in this sector."
He cited three "important tenets" that are guiding the government: localisation, skills transfer and job creation. "How will our engagements, at the end of the day, create a better life for our people?" For example, the development of a local nuclear energy should, for the country's pupils and students, "open new vistas of career opportunities".
The morning session of the forum was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (better known as Necsa) and two Russian companies, members of the Rosatom group: ASE-Niaep and Nukem Technologies. The MoU was described as a general cooperation agreement, including technology exchange and staff training.