Ramokgopa wants backing for new nuclear plant bigger than Koeberg

South Africa's energy ministry plans to secure funding approval soon for a 2 500 MW nuclear power plant in its efforts to increase electricity generation capacity, the Sunday Times reported.

Work has reached an advanced stage, and a team is working on a deal and finalising the procurement structure for the project, energy and electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told the newspaper.

Ramokgopa hopes that National Treasury will sign off on the plan by next month.

A site is yet to be confirmed and various technical details are still being ironed out.

The proposed power station would be bigger than the Koeberg plant, north of Cape Town, which is South Africa’s only nuclear power plant and generates 1 940 MW of energy.

The latest nuclear technology "is very rapid to deploy, relatively cheaper and more efficient," Ramokgopa told the newspaper.

"We must resolve the issues of who will operate the plant, but I think I can say before we even conclude that it will be Eskom, as Eskom has the experience, having done that at Koeberg."

Eskom has struggled for years to adequately supply electricity to South Africans from its ageing fleet of generation facilities, with problems exacerbated by mismanagement and corruption.

South Africa has been load shedding-free for over 100 days, the longest period of uninterrupted power supply in years.