Early reports indicate that Eskom has been ordered to pay nearly R1 billion to the French nuclear contractor Framatome. This ruling follows a decision by the Western Cape High Court, which found that the utility had refused to pay damages after canceling a contract to install steam generators at the Koeberg nuclear power station.
Energy analyst Chris Yelland commented on the situation during an interview with VOC News, emphasizing that the public ultimately bears the financial burden.
“Given this lengthy back-and-forth process, I am surprised that Eskom hasn’t sought damages from Areva, which later transferred its obligations to Framatome,” Yelland stated.
“This project was originally awarded to Areva during the tenure of Eskom’s former executive Matshela Koko, between 2014 and 2018. However, it seems that the contract was awarded under questionable circumstances. Westinghouse Electric, the aggrieved bidder and the original designer of Koeberg, had offered a lower price than Areva. The only drawback was that Westinghouse’s delivery time was three months longer. Mr. Koko ultimately chose to place the order with Areva based on their quicker delivery, which is when the problems began,” Yelland elaborated.
*Listen to the full audio here.
Photo: @Eskom_SA/X
