By Daanyaal Matthews
The decision by United States President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and other climate commitments, has subsequently led to the Just Energy Transition Partnership program (JETP) losing funding the North America state. This loss of funds has led to queries on the JETP’s future, with theories on possible alternative funding sources and what measures could be introduced to be more cost-effective, with some pointing to nuclear energy.
Speaking on VOC NewsBeat, Professor Sampson Mamphweli, head of the department of science and innovations energy secretariat at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), contends that while the initial costs to construct a nuclear power plant are high – over the long term it is cheaper.
“It’s true that nuclear build programs are very expensive in terms of capital investment, but on a long-term basis, if you look at the cost of generation, they become cheaper. Those power plants can be run for 40 to 60 years, so, because they can run longer, they become cheaper,” argued Mamphweli.
Professor Mamphweli further contended that the resources exist within the Republic to construct another nuclear power plant as the nation has the skillset and the knowledge on how to adequately manage nuclear plants by virtue of Koeberg Power Station’s operation.
“We have experience on the procurement side, we have experience on the technical side—in terms of designing and running the small modular reactors—and we’ve got the people running Koeberg and some of the capacity that goes to other countries as well. So, it is very possible,” concluded Mamphweli.
Listen to the full interview here:
Photo: WikiMedia
