Nuclear won't save SA from load shedding, warns Earthlife Africa
Environmental justice group
Earthlife Africa has warned that the government's nuclear power plans won't
save the country from the ongoing power crisis.
The electricity minister announced on Tuesday that there are plans to add 2,500 megawatts of new nuclear generation to the country's energy mix.
The first of the new units is expected to come online in 2032 or 2033.
Homes and businesses were hit by a record number of power outages due to the rolling blackouts this year, with over 330 days of load shedding.
Earthlife's Makoma Lekalakala says the government's nuclear plans won't be implemented anytime soon.
READ: Ramokgopa: New nuclear procurement process to start
"This announcement by no way is going to assist in load shedding, as any form of nuclear construction is going to take 20 or more years.
"We should not be fooled that in 2032 we will have this up and running. It has been proven all over the world that mega infrastructure projects take much longer than anticipated."
