South Africa’s state-owned power utility Eskom has announced its plans to build a demonstration modular nuclear reactor as part of the country’s strategy to increase nuclear power generation in its energy mix and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

According to Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom Group executive for generation, the utility is considering some of the decommissioned coal-fired power stations sites in Mpumalanga province for the installation of 100-MW small modular reactors (SMRs).

The plan, Nxumalo said, is to procure energy baseload capacity, including nuclear generation and battery storage, which would replace the coal-fired power stations when they get decommissioned in the years to come, Independent Online (IOL) reports.

The strategy to add generation capacity with SMRs aligns with Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s plan announced earlier in July to procure 2,500 MW of new nuclear power for South Africa.

“We are just waiting for the Cabinet decision to finalise the modalities of procurement,” he told participants at a conference in Johannesburg organised by the South African Business Partners and the Small Business Institute (SBI) on July 24.

“We are going to get the demonstration plant that is going to be 100 MW of the 2,500 MW to test the concept first. Between NERSA [the National Energy Regulator of South Africa] and us, we will be doing that demonstration plant.”

Nxumalo singled out the Komati power station’s site in Mpumalanga for the first demonstration SMR. He went on to say that to secure supply chains and revive economic activity at the decommissioned coal stations, Eskom was investigating manufacturing battery storage and solar components.

According to Nxumalo, the utility was looking for public and private-sector partnerships (PPP) to achieve this.

“Obviously, we are happy to work with some of the private sector as part of the co-investment as well in terms of this. The National Treasury has already approved this PPP approach in terms of private partnership as well. So that’s what we are looking for,” Nxumalo said, as quoted by IOL.

South Africa’s sole nuclear power plant (NPP) Koeberg, which is also the only operating NPP on the continent, this week marked 40 years of safe operation of its Unit 1 reactor.

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has also granted Eskom a licence to continue operating its Unit 1, which provides 930 MW to the grid, for another 20 years until July 21, 2044.

However, Ramokgopa’s strategy to enhance the country’s generation mix by adding nuclear capacity has had a mixed reaction, says IOL. The Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) and Earthlife Africa have questioned the necessity and legality of procuring new nuclear power, stating that the public consultation process was flawed.

When announcing his nuclear ambitions for South Africa, Ramokgopa acknowledged his understanding of increasing public distrust for government initiatives and stressed that his department would be transparent in its undertakings, as reported by NewsBase.

The minister underscored the importance of nuclear power for the country’s future generation mix at the first Cabinet Lekgotla of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

“We are working on the framework for procurement because we don’t want to discredit the process through a procurement process that is not transparent. Of course, we will do it at a scale and speed that we can afford as a country,” he stated.