Women in Nuclear South Africa (WiNSA) have welcomed the move by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to issue the Request for Information (RFI) for the South African nuclear new build programme.
A statement released by DMRE on Monday noted that the RFI, a stand-alone information-gathering exercise does not commit to any competitive tender.
This follows the approval of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) in October 2019.The IRP provides a blueprint for South Africa’s envisaged energy mix.
Decision 8 of the IRP 2019 suggests that government should immediately commence with small-scale nuclear build programme to the extent of 2,500MW by 2030, at a pace, scale and cost affordable to the country “because it is a no-regret option in the long term”.
The plan also provides for the extension of the design life of the existing Koeberg Nuclear Power Station beyond 2024, when it reaches the end of its 40-year life, which will be subject to regulatory approvals
Commenting on the release of RFI, Nomathemba Radebe, WINSA President said: “Gender equality is one of South Africa’s Sustainable Development Goals. WiNSA sees the expansion of the nuclear industry as a great opportunity for women in nuclear research, industry entrepreneurs, and collaboration between the private sector, academia as well as the public sector. South Africa needs to invest in infrastructure for security of energy supply and for economic growth.”
According to WiNSA, nuclear energy is still the most viable option in order to stimulate the economy, despite public sentiment often being negative.
“Therefore, it remains crucial that a factual public awareness campaign gains greater momentum. Moreover, South Africa is amongst the top three largest producers of Nuclear Radioisotopes globally from the SAFARI-1 research reactor operated by Necsa, WiNSA noted.
Currently, the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station hosts the only operational Nuclear Power Reactors on the African continent, with a capacity of 1,800MW baseload power to stabilise the Western Cape grid at one of the lowest costs of production.
For over 30 years, Koeberg has contributed towards both the Western Cape and South African economy through job creation, infrastructure development, community development and transformation.
“As WiNSA, it is important that we become the nuclear ambassadors of this country and the African continent in general. There is a great need, as a collective, to educate our people so that they can understand and appreciate
the technology. The future of women in this sector is promising,” Radebe said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
