South Africa’s state utility Eskom has submitted its feasibility report for a proposed 5,200MWe nuclear power expansion, moving closer to launching a formal procurement process. Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa confirmed the milestone at the South African Nuclear and Clean Energy Conference.
The Department of Electricity & Energy is preparing a proposed determination to open for public comment, aiming for final publication before June 2027. Publishing this determination officially initiates the procurement process, following mandatory consultations with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and the Minister of Finance.
Under the Nuclear Energy Policy, Eskom will serve as the plant owner and operator, retaining control even within a public-private partnership framework. The National Nuclear Regulator will maintain independent authority over safety and licensing, while the department uses the International Atomic Energy Agency’s milestones approach to monitor readiness.
The new capacity is aligned with the Integrated Resource Plan 2025 (IRP 2025), and is scheduled to come online progressively between 2036 and 2039, with potential expansion to 10 GWe beyond 2039. Early estimates project the build programme will cost approximately ZAR250bn ($15bn).
The government and Eskom plan to approach financial markets to raise capital while assessing impacts on electricity tariffs, Eskom’s balance sheet, and state fiscal exposure.
Dr Ramokgopa noted that South Africa has not built a nuclear power station in 50 years and lost critical expertise after shelving the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) programme. Analysts also highlight that strict constitutional and procurement transparency is essential to avoid legal challenges similar to the 2017 court ruling that overturned previous nuclear agreements.
The South African government shelved the PBMR programme in September 2010. Seven years later, in April 2017, the Western Cape High Court overturned a 9,600 MWe nuclear procurement deal after ruling that the government had bypassed mandatory parliamentary approval and public consultation processes.
According to Dr Ramokgopa, the government plans to partner with international firms to rebuild a local pipeline of nuclear engineers. He added that the programme will avoid the planning and execution failures seen during the construction of the Kusile and Medupi coal power stations. “It’s a template on how not to do things. We are going to learn from that and unlearn from those experiences so that this nuclear build programme is not a casualty of poor planning,” he said.
Dr Ramokgopa said nuclear power and coal could operate alongside each other, and decisions on whether power stations should remain open would be based on their condition, costs and environmental requirements. “Some stations may have a case for longer operation, and others will retire,” he said.
Meanwhile, unit 2 at the Koeberg NPP has passed the Integrated Leak Rate Test (ILRT), confirming the structural integrity and leak-tightness of the containment building, one of the station’s most critical nuclear safety barriers. Independent analysis by an internationally recognised utility confirmed that unit 2 met all required acceptance criteria, validating the continued integrity and performance of the containment structure.
The ILRT is conducted every ten years as part of Koeberg’s ongoing mandatory licensing requirements. “Our world-class, highly skilled nuclear teams at Koeberg continue to meet the rigorous global standards and schedules demanded for the safe ongoing operation of Koeberg,” said Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom Group Executive for Generation. “The station plays a central role to the economy of both the Western Cape and South Africa, as well for the energy security of the country, through delivering some of the lowest cost per unit of energy across our fleet.”
The successful test represents an important step in Koeberg’s long-term operating strategy following the National Nuclear Regulator’s approval of a 20-year operating licence extension. It builds on the successful completion of the same test on unit 1 in July 2025, which continues to operate reliably.
