If the world is to win the fight against climate change, it is vital that developing countries, including those on the African continent, adopt low-carbon electricity systems that can also keep pace with increased demand created by population growth. This was the message of Philippe Costes, senior advisor to the director general of World Nuclear Association, to participants in the Power & Electricity World Africa 2020 conference held on 6 November.

The US Department of Energy has approved a cost-share award of more than USD1 billion for the construction of the first NuScale small modular reactor power plant in the USA. Meanwhile, the US International Development Finance Corporation has signed a Letter of Intent to support NuScale in the development of nuclear generating capacity in South Africa.

The first of six replacement steam generators for South Africa's only operating nuclear power plant have arrived at the Koeberg site, plant owner and operator Eskom has announced. Steam generator replacement is part of a ZAR20 billion (USD1.2 billion) programme to extend by 20 years the operating life of the two-unit plant.

South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has issued a Request for Information to enable it to assess nuclear technologies that could be considered for a national programme to build 2500 MWe of new nuclear capacity. The programme could include conventional pressurised water reactors, small modular reactors or a blend of technologies.

The Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa has outlined six potential options for financing new nuclear power plants in the country. Last week, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe told a parliamentary committee he would be willing to look at innovative funding options as his department begins the process to develop 2500 MWe of new nuclear capacity.

South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy is to begin work on a roadmap for the procurement of 2500 MWe of new nuclear capacity. It will consider "all options" including small modular reactor projects led by private companies and consortia, Minister Gwede Mantashe told the country's Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy on 7 May.

Electricity generation is vital in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but scheduled refuelling and maintenance outages at nuclear power plants around the world must still go ahead. Operators are introducing risk-minimising procedures so outages that have been planned years in advance can proceed, while some are being prompted to rethink or extend scheduled outages.

South African utility Eskom yesterday published a request for an Expression of Interest in reviving all or parts of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor project. It is seeking investors to take stakes in PBMR Ltd, the development and deployment of the reactor design, and in TRISO fuel manufacturing.

The operation of the Koeberg nuclear power plant will be extended by 20 years and a nuclear new build programme will be launched as part of South Africa's energy plans for the next decade. The plans were approved yesterday by the country's government.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts yesterday completed a review of the long-term operational safety of South Africa's two-unit Koeberg nuclear power plant. The team assessed the plant's preparedness, organisation and programmes related to long-term operation against IAEA safety standards.

South Africa must consider nuclear as a clean energy source that can be part of its electricity generation mix, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe said yesterday in his keynote speech at a business awards ceremony.

The South African government has replaced the entire board of the South Africa Nuclear Energy Corporation following alleged failures in its statutory duties including legislative non-compliance, non-adherence to shareholder instructions, financial mismanagement and delays in returning the country's radioisotope manufacturing facility to full functionality.