South Africa plans to start the procurement process for its nuclear build programme next year, with the first new reactor expected to come on line by 2023, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said on Thursday.

The country plans to add 9 600 MW of new nuclear power to its power-generation mix over the next two decades.

“If all goes well, I hope that this process could start next year. However, there are various factors and important decisions [such as costs, risks, radio activity and waste management] that need to be made,” she said, adding that the Energy Department would endeavour to accelerate the process.

Peters told journalists on the sidelines of a nuclear power conference in Johannesburg that no key vendors or countries had been selected for the nuclear build programme.

Earlier, the Minister told delegates at the third yearly Nuclear Forum that localisation of the nuclear build programme was critical to create industries that supported the programme and to ensure its long-term sustainability.

She said nuclear technology developers and component manufacturers had to play an important role in delivering nuclear power stations and that industry players should assist South Africa to achieve its localisation ambitions.

“Without local jobs, nuclear will lose the vital support of our people at large. Benefits generated from nuclear must be maximised − we must localise. This might be a tall order, but South Africa has the capacity to deliver and compete internationally,” Peters said.

Nuclear energy forms a key part of the country’s 20-year integrated resources plan (IRP), which Cabinet approved in March.

According to the plan, 23% of all new electricity generation will be expected to come from nuclear by 2030, while renewable energy would account for 42% and coal for 15%. The balance would come from open-cycle gas turbines, hydro and imported gas.

Coal’s contribution to new electricity generation fell to 15% from 16% in the draft IRP.

“It must be clear that we will not abandon coal as a source of energy, but will pursue clean coal technologies,” Peters stressed.

The energy plan proposes that 9 600 MW of nuclear energy be added to the power-generation mix.

The Minister also spoke about a culture of nuclear safety in South Africa that was not only dependent on regulatory bodies, and about transparency.

“As we deal with the actualisation of the 9 600 MW from nuclear energy, it is important that information related to safety, costs, funding mechanisms, job creation and other support infrastructure is widely shared, to enable members of the public to engage with processes,” she said.

Areva's Dr Yves Guenon said South Africa should develop its localisation strategy well ahead of its nuclear build programme. “Any delays in such a plan, would make it more difficult for industry to mobilise itself in future,” he said.

Guenon described localisation as an “acceptable constraint” and emphasised the need for South Africa to be ready to procure and develop the “right skills at the tight time”, particularly engineering and technical skills.

The need for a skills development strategy to support the country’s 9 600 MW nuclear programme was also echoed by Professor Eben Mulder, a director at the North-West University’s Post Graduate School of Nuclear Science & Engineering.

“The country needs to consider attracting skills through immigration, relocation and repatriation,” Mulder said.