- September 9, 2016
- Posted by: docmedia
- Category: News
The Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA) welcomes the announcement of the RFP date
‘Calling for a fair and transparent procurement process’ Johannesburg, 09 September 2016; The Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa has welcomed the announcement of the release date (30 September 2016) of the much anticipated, request for proposal for the procurement of nuclear power stations as part of the broader Nuclear Build Programme.
Nuclear is an efficient & environmentally safe way to generate sufficient base load power to our rapidly
growing energy demands and necessary to grow our economy. It is not the only solution, but a critical
component of the entire energy mix, as supported by the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2010 -2030)
NIASA echoes and supports the calls for transparency in the nuclear build programme in its entirety but further
extends its calls for an emphasis towards localization, local content and skills development as founding
principals for the selection of the winning vendor/s; in order to ensure tangible development and meaningful
employment for the communities where the plants will be located and the people of South Africa as a whole.
According to Knox Msebenzi, Managing Director of NIASA, ‘ The Nuclear project will not only support industry
and create much needed employment, it will also create a platform upon which our economy can grow and
develop. NIASA is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the next Nuclear build project is
transparently and professionally managed through all phases of its development.’ Moreover, NIASA encourages a more robust debate on the nuclear build and meaningful public participation at all key decision making milestones through out the procurement and build phases, taking into consideration key learnings from previous large scale infrastructure projects in the country.
‘As a country we have experience in large scale projects and we have varied experts to advise and guide us
towards the successful delivery of the project over the next 20 years. We can draw valuable insights from both
our successful projects and the not so successful ones and improve on our performance accordingly,’ Msebenzi
adds.
In regards to matters of financing; the official RFP and response of vendors will be the first indication of what
nuclear energy will cost the fiscus, it will allow an accurate allocation of nuclear capacity as part of the energy
mix of the new IRP and therefore guide the industry of the accurate figures and in turn open up the debate on
the various financing and risk mitigation models. Therefore, any assertions and pronouncements in this regard
are premature and untested at present.
‘It is up to government to find the optimal financing with the multiple objectives of security of electrical power
supply and economic development. Whatever model chosen, it should ideally have sufficient flexibility to allow
for adjustments of the timing of the construction of the fleet over the planned horizon.’ Msebenzi concludes.
Media queries:
Nomathemba Malinga
Mobile: 083 364 8589
Email: Nomathemba@zindela.co.za
Ubuhle Zwane
Mobile: 078 292 1166
Email: ubuhle@zindela.co.za
ABOUT NIASA:
The Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa is a body committed to promoting the highest standards in the development and application of nuclear technology in South Africa.NIASA is composed of organisations, groups, and individuals, from not only the established nuclear sector, but also any entities involved in any technology endeavor related to the development and operation of nuclear technology