Executive director of the Free Market Foundation, Leon Louw says the return of nuclear power run by the current government will be a ‘catastrophe’.
“This government has shown conclusively that it is unable to manage electricity … Nuclear will make the disasters of Medupi and Kusile seem small,” he told The Citizen newspaper.
Louw says he is not principally opposed to nuclear and sees it as a safe and reliable option. However, he’s concerned about nuclear energy investment remaining in government hands.
He has also cautioned that it could also be wide open to kickbacks.
“The only way we can have nuclear is to let private investors risk their own money for which we are not responsible. That’s happening worldwide. Pouring government money into it is irresponsible.
“Taxpayers will end up paying. We are sitting with a dinosaur model, what I’d call an ‘energy policy for Neanderthals’,” said Louw.
Estimates for the programme’s costs are around R1 trillion, with output ambitions indicating three nuclear plants will have to be built.
Louw’s other concern is that nuclear will take far too long to build. He estimates seven years, but in South Africa’s labour climate it could take much longer.
In his address to Parliament earlier this month, President Jacob Zuma said nuclear had the possibility of generating well over 9000MW.