South African Energy Minister Mmamaloko Kubayi said on 13 May she will not appeal against a High Court decision declaring ministerial determinations underpinning the country's nuclear procurement plans to be unlawful. Intergovernmental agreements set aside under the ruling will be replaced with new agreements, she said.

A ruling by South Africa's High Court setting aside the country's nuclear procurement plans is centred on procedural issues and makes no determinations on the argument for nuclear energy, the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa said today.

South Africa's Western Cape High Court has set aside two ministerial determinations underpinning the country's nuclear procurement plans, ruling them unlawful and unconstitutional. The court has also declared the same to be the case of intergovernmental agreements, including that between South Africa and Russia.

South Africa's only nuclear power station has an important role to play in the country's economy now and in the future, a study by KPMG has found. Through investments and operations, economic activity supported or stimulated by Eskom's Koeberg plant is currently worth an estimated ZAR53.3 billion ($3.9 billion).

The Coega Development Corporation has agreed to cooperate with utility Eskom in supporting the South African government's plans to build local capacity for its nuclear new build program through supplier development and localisation.

South African utility Eskom has announced that interest in the request for information (RFI) it issued last December for the country's nuclear new build program has been "very positive". Some 27 companies have stated that they intend to provide a response to the RFI, including China's SNPTC, France's EDF, Russia's Rusatom Overseas and South Korea's Kepco.

South Africa's nuclear industry initially reacted with some concerns about the suggested delays to the country's nuclear new build program in draft updated energy plans released in late November, writes Knox Msebenzi.

South African utility Eskom has released a request for information for the country's nuclear new build program. It stressed the exercise will not create any financial commitments or obligations to Eskom or the government.

South Africa's nuclear regulatory framework is robust, but improvements are needed in the country's regulation of the use of radiation sources, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review mission has found.

South African nuclear utility Eskom said it is confident its probabilistic seismic safety studies for Thyspunt adequately characterise the site's seismic hazards. It denied allegations by a research institute that it had not shared its findings on the seismic safety of the Eastern Cape site.

South African utility Eskom will stick with its plan to invite this year applications from companies interested in building new nuclear plants. This is despite the government's newly announced aim to increase the country's nuclear capacity by 1359 MWe by 2037 - less and over a longer timeframe than the previously announced target.

South Africa is well-equipped to have nuclear power plants and has a nuclear safety culture, with Koeberg having operated safely for over 32 years, utility Eskom said yesterday. The performance of the Koeberg plant has also consistently been one of the strongest within the Eskom fleet, it said, adding that it is also the cheapest energy provider in South Africa's fleet.