South African utility Eskom has submitted site applications for nuclear power plant projects for two sites, one in Thyspunt in the Eastern Cape and one in Duynefotein in the Western Cape.
Both of the sites are considered part of Cape Province, which makes up a large share of the southern end of the South Africa and the continent of Africa.
Reportedly, South Africa's Department of Energy is planning, by the end of March, to send out a request for applications to build nuclear power plants with a combined generation capacity of 9,600 MW. The government sanctioned that request in December.
Eskom's applications call for “multiple nuclear installations and associated auxiliary nuclear installations,” but no specific plant design or technology has been selected yet.
At issue, as always, is the potential price for what could be a six-reactor addition to the country's power generation infrastructure. The sums frequently cited in press reports range from $25 billion to $65 billion, which are daunting numbers considering the country's credit rating, which is facing a downgrade to “junk” status, according to Bloomberg News.
The applications for site approval were submitted to the National Nuclear Regulator, South Africa's leading nuclear power agency.
There have been several additional sites under consideration for nuclear power plant construction, including Brazil and Schulpfontein, further north along the western coast, and Bantamsklip, which is south of Duynefontein, also on the western coast. One of the primary regulatory considerations, at this point, is to decided if the sites of Thyspunt and Duynefontein are suitable for a nuclear power plant.
Eskom, according to the World Nuclear Association, is the South African government's designated majority owner and operator of any nuclear power plant built in the country, the utility said.
This is considered separate from the procurement process, which will involve selecting a power plant design and the required component suppliers and construction contractors. Once a site is approved and a design is selected, the regulatory process will change focus and move towards application and issuance of installation licenses.