South Africa has made a decision to add energy capacity in an affordable way, according to its Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe.
Former South African President, Jacob Zuma championed a massive nuclear expansion project with Russia, but his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa put those plans on hold in one of his first moves after becoming leader of the governing African National Congress (ANC) in late 2017.
Economists say a large-scale nuclear new build is something South Africa, whose last investment-grade credit rating is hanging by a thread, cannot afford.
A clear timeline for new nuclear capacity has not been disclosed as the government’s energy plan will require approval first.