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Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said Eskom has submitted its feasibility report for the proposed 5,200-megawatt nuclear build programme.

Speaking at a nuclear energy conference in Pretoria, Ramokgopa said his department is now preparing a proposed determination which will soon be open for public comment.

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The build is expected to come online progressively between 2036 and 2039.

Government is pushing ahead with its nuclear ambitions of building a 5,200-megawatt nuclear station by 2039, according to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025.

But the minister has acknowledged that South Africa faces a major challenge, namely a shortage of engineers with experience in building nuclear power stations.

He said the country lost crucial skills when it abandoned its Pebble Bed Modular Reactor programme, adding that the country has not built a nuclear power station in 50 years.

“It’s an admission we’re making; it will be resolved through working with international partners to build a pipeline of engineers who are going to build a nuclear power station from scratch,” he said.

Ramokgopa also raised concerns about the cost of the project, adding that the government will have to go to market to raise funding.

“The department will work with Eskom to assess financing structures on tariffs, Eskom’s balance sheet and any exposure assumed by the state,” he said.

While there are no final cost projections for this programme, preliminary estimates suggest it would cost about R250 billion.

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