The Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa is exploring ways to make the country play a more meaningful role in the international nuclear energy value chain.
This was said by Sengiphile Simelane, the Necsa group executive: power and industry, who acknowledged that South Africa was currently viewed as a nuclear consumer energy nation.
South Africa is currently the leading nuclear energy powerhouse in Africa.
Simelane, who spoke to Sunday World on the sidelines of the recent World Atom Week held in Moscow, Russia, stated that South Africa was previously among the leaders in nuclear technology and used to produce nuclear fuel.
Nuclear track record
“We’ve a power station at Koeberg which has been operating for over 40 years. Our experience in nuclear is well documented. So now what we are thinking as a country and organisation is that we need to go back to what we used to do, [like] the production of nuclear fuel, deployment of nuclear power plants and making sure that we produce clean energy through nuclear technology.
“And for us to get to that point, Necsa must play a leading role because we are the nuclear energy research company and we must provide the answers and guide the country in terms of where we need to go,” he said.
Simelane, however, stated that the journey ahead will not be easy. “For us to get there, it won’t be easy to reestablish what we had in the past. We need partnerships and it makes perfect sense for us to be here (World Atomic Energy) and propel the country to the next level.”
He also touched on the move globally to transition from coal power stations to clean energy.
“The idea is that with these coal fired power stations that we have – they are old, not performing well, and not so clean in terms of carbon emissions, so the idea is to repurpose them and bring in renewables, which was done at Komati but the best idea is to [repurpose them] into clean energy production using nuclear.”
He spoke about the necessity of exploiting a new technology called small modular reactors to benefit the country’s energy supply.
“The idea is to bring those small modular reactors into those coal fired power stations. By doing so, you will help the communities in the sense that those communities will not die.
Job creation
“Nuclear power brings stable jobs, they operate for 60 plus years, you will not have a situation where a coal fired power station is closed and now you would be left with dead towns and so on like that. It is what we call just energy transition and if you really want to do it and you want to use clean energy technology, you will use these nuclear power plants and maybe have a hybrid solution where you will combine nuclear power plants with renewable power plants. The nuclear will provide you with baseload which is needed and the renewable will provide clean energy solutions.”
Elsie Pule, the head coordinator of the BRICS Nuclear Platform, said the Brics bloc of countries have committed to ensuring that member countries will fully participate in the nuclear energy value chain.
Pule said the nuclear platform’s mandate was to focus on the supply chains and financing nuclear programmes.
Her comment comes after the World Bank in June lifted its funding ban on nuclear energy programmes in emerging countries.
Pule stated that the platform has also approached the Brics bank and African Development Bank for funding options. “Currently there are no definites,” said Pule.
Alternative energy source
Thabani Zulu, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, said KwaZulu-Natal has identified nuclear energy, more specifically the floating power units, as an alternative energy source which will assist in stabilising electricity supply and attract investment opportunities into the province.
Floating power units are small power stations based on barges.
“There is no investment of any nature that could happen in the absence of energy security. Out of our strategic response into the challenges we have identified, including loadshedding…
“Our conceptual understanding of the floating energy units would be one of the sources. We don’t want to be in the future to worry about any lack of energy supply to attract investments,” said Zulu.
Ryan Collyer, the CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa, said there were two small scale nuclear power plants under construction worldwide.
Keen interest in floating nuclear power units was coming from emerging economies in south east Asia, Africa and the Middle East. “These areas are necessitating swift environmentally responsible solutions to address energy shortages.”
Kirill Komarov, First Deputy Director General – Director for the Development and International Business of the State Corporation Rosatom said 70% of global nuclear construction today is happening in BRICS countries, and only 30% in the rest of the world.
“This gives Russia as one of the key BRICS partners excellent opportunities to be a reliable partner helping our neighbours and friends develop their own nuclear technologies openly,” said Komarov.
Sibanyoni’s trip to Russia was sponsored by Rosatom.
