Why SA’s nuclear mix should include pebble bed modular technology
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The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019 advocates “a diversified energy mix that reduces reliance on a single or a few primary energy sources”. It proposes immediate commencement with a small-scale nuclear build programme to meet 2,500MW by 2030, at a pace, scale and cost affordable to the country.
To date, in addition to other measures, two section 34 ministerial determinations for concurrence by National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) have been issued. These pertain to 2,000MW of emergency power procurement and generation options under the IRP 2019.
The department has released a request for information (RFI) regarding the Nuclear New Build Power Procurement Programme. The purpose is to solicit information that will assist planning. This is noteworthy as it is the second RFI by the department in six months, in a bid to ensure a secure energy supply.
Since 1984 Koeberg nuclear power station has provided a safe, efficient and reliable supply of electricity to the Western Cape. Koeberg’s design life ends in 2024, hence the government’s plans to extend its life for another 20 years. KPMG’s economic impact assessment of Koeberg of March 2017 highlights, among others, the economic value of the nuclear power plant.
For example, a R29bn contribution to the GDP of the Western Cape (1.4% of the provincial GDP) and R23bn to the rest of the SA economy, between 2013 and 2016. The argument often repeated against nuclear is that it is costly. This underlines the less understood concept of full costs of electricity provision in the establishment of the future energy system.
In 2018 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Nuclear Energy Agency identified three components that make up the full costs of electricity provision. These are:
Plant-level production costs, typically captured as levelised cost of electricity in units of rand per megawatt-hour (unless you have a cogent argument why it should be in dollars it makes no sense, or you are unable to do currency conversion). This is where the SA public discourse begins and ends. Grid-level system costs, including connection, transmission and distribution costs, as well as balancing and utilisation costs.External or social costs, such as costs associated with climate change, air pollution, major accidents, land use, security of energy supply and impact on employment.
Besides electricity, nuclear has other benefits. For example, SA is a global player in nuclear-related medicine such as radioisotopes.
There has been renewed global interest in small ...
To date, in addition to other measures, two section 34 ministerial determinations for concurrence by National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) have been issued. These pertain to 2,000MW of emergency power procurement and generation options under the IRP 2019.
The department has released a request for information (RFI) regarding the Nuclear New Build Power Procurement Programme. The purpose is to solicit information that will assist planning. This is noteworthy as it is the second RFI by the department in six months, in a bid to ensure a secure energy supply.
Since 1984 Koeberg nuclear power station has provided a safe, efficient and reliable supply of electricity to the Western Cape. Koeberg’s design life ends in 2024, hence the government’s plans to extend its life for another 20 years. KPMG’s economic impact assessment of Koeberg of March 2017 highlights, among others, the economic value of the nuclear power plant.
For example, a R29bn contribution to the GDP of the Western Cape (1.4% of the provincial GDP) and R23bn to the rest of the SA economy, between 2013 and 2016. The argument often repeated against nuclear is that it is costly. This underlines the less understood concept of full costs of electricity provision in the establishment of the future energy system.
In 2018 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Nuclear Energy Agency identified three components that make up the full costs of electricity provision. These are:
Plant-level production costs, typically captured as levelised cost of electricity in units of rand per megawatt-hour (unless you have a cogent argument why it should be in dollars it makes no sense, or you are unable to do currency conversion). This is where the SA public discourse begins and ends. Grid-level system costs, including connection, transmission and distribution costs, as well as balancing and utilisation costs.External or social costs, such as costs associated with climate change, air pollution, major accidents, land use, security of energy supply and impact on employment.
Besides electricity, nuclear has other benefits. For example, SA is a global player in nuclear-related medicine such as radioisotopes.
There has been renewed global interest in small ...
