Eskom’s new recruits to get nuclear know-how
Electricity provider Eskom has started training 100 new recruits on the operations of a nuclear plant.
|||Johannesburg - Eskom started training 100 new recruits on the operations of a nuclear plant as nuclear players waited for the government’s next move in the nuclear procurement programme.
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According to the government’s energy policy, the nuclear procurement programme would add 9 600 megawatts to the national grid by 2030. The Department of Energy was supposed to issue a request for proposals by end of March.
Eskom yesterday launched the Nuclear Operator Pipeline project at the Koeberg Power Station in Cape Town.
Speaking at the launch of the project, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown said: “Eskom’s Nuclear Project 100 will provide a platform for developing a robust nuclear operator pipeline for South Africa.
“The programme, spanning five years, aims to build a path to ensure that there are sufficient local nuclear resources to service the country’s present and future nuclear needs. After the five-year period, trainees will qualify as nuclear plant operators or will enter related career equivalents.
“What is inspiring is that approximately 95 percent of students are 35 years and younger, and about 40 percent are black females from various parts of the country.”
She said, in addition to advancing transformation, the nuclear renaissance in Asian and Middle Eastern countries was attracting nuclear skills from other countries.
Eskom chairman Baldwin Ngubane said yesterday that the new nuclear build would need additional resources for operations “and the nuclear operator training programme is geared towards ensuring that the South African youth who has aspirations to access a career path in nuclear has a chance”.
Accredited
Eskom said Koeberg was the only nuclear power station outside of the US whose training programme was accredited with the National Academy of Nuclear Training.
Brown said, with two full-scale control room simulators, Koeberg could train reactor operators in this field. “An in-house chemistry plant operator and radiation protection monitor training programme is also unique to Koeberg,” she said.
Kelvin Kemm of Stratek Business Strategy Consultant said Eskom was preparing for a future nuclear programme. He said the country needed the additional skills given the 50 percent localisation requirement.
He said the 50 percent local content requirement was achievable. “When Koeberg was built, there was zero localisation target, but 43 percent was achieved. If we can get 43 percent 40 years ago, 50 percent is achievable. But, for that, we need qualified people.”
The mooted nuclear procurement programme has attracted major nuclear firms, Areva, Westinghouse and Rosatom. Those that have nuclear reactors around the world are positioning themselves for the nuclear bid process.
Since the publication of the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (2010 to 2030), which set aside the 9 600MW capacity for nuclear, questions have lingered about the openness of the procurement programme.
But, in a last December Government Gazette, Minister of Energy Tina Joemat-Pettersson said nuclear power would be procured through fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost effective procedures.
Kemm has previously estimated the entire nuclear programme to cost R650 billion. That is contrary to the previous estimation of R1 trillion.
BUSINESS REPORT