Cape Town – A Government Gazette notice released by the Department of Energy on December 21 has confirmed Cabinet’s decision to move ahead with the 9 600 MW nuclear procurement programme.
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Until this point, there has been no official word from government that it had decided to move ahead with the programme.
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Meanwhile, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report by Eskom that has recommended Thyspunt as the preferred site to build a 4 000 MW nuclear power station is almost complete and will be submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs in February 2016, said Deidre Herbst, Eskom’s environmental manager, on Thursday.
The Gazette notice released by Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Peterson, in consultation with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, said her department would be the procurement agency. This was initially going to be Eskom’s responsibility, but was moved to the department earlier this year.
“The role of the procurement agency will be to conduct the procurement process, including preparing any requests for qualification, requests for proposals and/or all related and associated documentation, negotiating the power purchase agreements, facilitating the conclusion of the other project agreements, and facilitating the satisfaction of any conditions precedent to financial close which are within its control.”
The Gazette states that the electricity must be purchased by Eskom “or by any successor entity to be designated by the Minister of Energy, as buyer (off-taker)”.
It says the electricity must be purchased from the “special purpose vehicle(s) set up for the purpose of developing the nuclear programme”.
Read more at BREAKING: Cabinet officially approves nuclear plan
