Uhlele ukwethula izinhlelo zesiteshi samandla senuzi esingu-2,500MW uRamakgopa

UNgqongqoshe Wezamandla Nogesi u-Kgosientsho Ramokgopa umemezele izinhlelo zokuveza ipulani yesiteshi esisha samandla enuzi esingu-2,500MW ekupheleni kwenyanga ezayo.

Lesi sinyathelo siphawula igxathu elikhulu eliya phambili esu lezwe lokuhlukanisa imithombo yalo yamandla kanye nokuthuthukisa ukwethembeka kwamandla esikhathi eside.

Engxoxweni abe nayo neSunday Times, u-Ramokgopa wabelane ngokuthi ithimba elizinikele lisezigabeni ezithuthukile zokuphothula uhlaka lokuthengwa kwempahla yalolu hlelo.

Uhlelo lokuthengwa kwempahla, oludinga imvume evela kuMgcinimafa Kazwelonke, kulindeleke ukuthi lube nokukhanya okuluhlaza ekupheleni kuka-August 2024.

Lesi simemezelo silandela ukukhishwa kukaRamokgopa kugazethi yesinqumo ngoJanuwari 2024, eqinisekisa ukuzibophezela kukahulumeni ohlelweni olusha lokwakhiwa kwezikhali zenuzi.

Ngokwesinqumo, amandla angu-2,500MW angathuthukiswa ngabakwa-Eskom noma ngokubambisana nezinkampani ezizimele. Inqubo yokuthengwa kwempahla izohambisana nemigomo yokulunga, ukulingana, ukubeka izinto obala, ukuncintisana, kanye nokuphumelela kwezindleko.

U-Ramokgopa ugcizelele amathuba okuthi u-Eskom asebenzise isikhungo esisha, esebenzisa ulwazi analo ngeSiteshi Samandla Senuzi sase-Koeberg.

Izingxoxo zangaphakathi ziyaqhubeka mayelana nobuchwepheshe obuzosetshenziswa, kanti u-Ramokgopa ubonisa ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe benuzi bakamuva, obusebenza kahle kakhulu futhi obungabizi kakhulu.

I-Thyspunt eduze kwaseJeffreys Bay eMpumalanga Kapa isalokhu iyisizinda esingase sibe khona isizinda esisha senuzi. Naphezu kwezindleko eziphezulu zangaphambili ezihambisana neziteshi zamandla enuzi, umthelela wazo ophansi wemvelo nokwethembeka esikhathini eside kuyizinzuzo ezibalulekile.

Isiteshi sikagesi senuzi esikhona eNingizimu Afrika, i-Koeberg, sinomklamo ojwayelekile we-pressurized water reactor (PWR) futhi sinamandla angu-1,860MW.

Yasungulwa ngo-1984, i-Koeberg ibe ngesinye seziteshi zikagesi ezithembeke kakhulu kwa-Eskom, ezinenkinga yokucisha uma kuqhathaniswa nemikhumbi yenkampani esebenza ngamalahle. Njengamanje, i-Koeberg isalungiswa amajeneretha ayo ukuze inwebe isikhathi sokusebenza kwayo ngeminye iminyaka engama-20.

Intuthuko yakamuva kutheknoloji yenuzi, njengama-reactors amancane okuhlanganisa ama-pebble-bed modular reactors (PBMRs), ingabamba iqhaza ekusaseni lenuzi laseNingizimu Afrika.

Phambilini u-Eskom ubenohlelo lokuthuthukisa i-PBMR kusukela ngo-1994 kuya ku-2009, olwanqanyulwa ngenxa yezinkinga zemali. Nokho, abacwaningi abavela ohlelweni baqhubekile nokuthuthukisa ubuchwepheshe be-PBMR nezinkampani ezizimele phesheya, njenge-X-energy e-US.

Ngokuphawulekayo, i-C5 Capital kasongxowankulu waseNingizimu Afrika u-André Pienaar ihola umfelandawonye ukuze iqoqe amabhiliyoni ayi-R9 kuxhaso oluzimele lokwakha i-PBMR eNtshonalanga Kapa.

Lesi sikhungo esiphehla amandla kulindeleke ukuthi sibe namayunithi amane angu-80MW, esewonke anikeze amandla angu-320MW. I-consortium ihlose ukusungula inethiwekhi yama-reactors esamba esingu-1,800MW.

U-Pienaar uveze ukuthi izindleko ze-reactor ngayinye zizokwehla njengezikali zokukhishwa, okwenza ama-PBMR abe enye indlela engabizi kakhulu kuneziteshi zamandla zamalahle ezivamile. Isibonelo, izindleko zokwakha i-MW ngayinye eKusile, esinye seziteshi ezintsha zaseNingizimu Afrika zokuphehla ugesi wamalahle, ziphezulu kakhulu uma ziqhathaniswa nama-PBMR.

I-consortium ihlela ukwenza ucwaningo lokungenzeka futhi ingene ezingxoxweni ezisemthethweni ne-Eskom, nendawo yokuqala yokuphehla amandla ehlongozwa endaweni efanayo ne-Koeberg. Umgomo uwukuthola ilayisensi kwaNuclear Energy Corporation yaseNingizimu Afrika ekuqaleni kuka-2024 futhi ilethwe i-reactor ku-inthanethi ngo-2026.

Njengoba iNingizimu Afrika izulazula ngezinselele zayo zamandla, isiteshi samandla enuzi esihlongozwayo simele isisombululo sokucabanga phambili okuhloswe ngaso ukuqinisekisa ikusasa lamandla elizinzile, elisimeme.