South Africa May Build as Many as 36 New Nuclear Power Plants

Earlier this week we learned that South Africa is making plans not only to purchase a conventional nuclear power station, but also to begin enriching its own uranium. And with a nuclear power conference taking place this week in Johanesberg, we're beginning to see news emerge at just how large a part nuclear energy will take in that nation's future energy mix:

The Nuclear Energy Corporation of SA (Necsa) expects electricity generated from nuclear energy to increase by 25 000 megawatts by 2030, which could cost as much as R100 billion.

To achieve this, the government would have to build about 24 pebble bed modular nuclear reactors as well as 12 conventional nuclear power stations, Necsa chief executive Rob Adam told a nuclear power conference in Johannesburg.

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Tom Ferreira, the communications manager for the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company (PBMR), said its business plan was based on the assumption that the country would need a minimum of 24 plants.

The nation seems firmly committed to ending its overdependence on coal.