▁E sk om , ▁announced ▁E sk om ▁plans ▁to ▁build ▁ 2 0   G W ▁of ▁nuclear ▁power ▁by ▁ 2 0 2 5 , ▁the ▁first ▁station ▁of ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁completed ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁invest ment ▁decision ▁to ▁go ▁ahead ▁with ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁made . ▁Until ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁South ▁Africa ▁had ▁an ▁expansion ▁policy ▁based ▁upon ▁the ▁P eb ble ▁Bed ▁Mod ular ▁Re actor ▁( P B MR ) ▁but ▁government ▁finan cing ▁was ▁with dra wn ▁because ▁of ▁missed ▁dead lines ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁customers . ▁Several ▁groups , ▁including ▁Earth life ▁Africa ▁and ▁K oe berg ▁Alert , ▁had ▁opposed ▁these ▁plans . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁an ▁updated ▁draft ▁IR P ▁was ▁published ▁which ▁set ▁a ▁much ▁lower ▁and ▁slower ▁nuclear ▁target , ▁due ▁to ▁lower ▁demand ▁pro jections ▁and ▁increased ▁capital ▁cost . ▁This ▁updated ▁IR P ▁en vis aged ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁new ▁nuclear ▁power ▁plant ▁would ▁only ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁online ▁by ▁ 2 0 4 1 . ▁Energy ▁Minister ▁T ina ▁Jo emat - P etter sson ▁said ▁that ▁nuclear ▁is ▁non - neg oti able ▁for ▁SA ▁because ▁the ▁country ▁la cks ▁ade qu ate ▁water ▁to ▁support ▁coal - f ired ▁power ▁generation . ▁However , ▁some ▁energy ▁exper ts ▁believe ▁that ▁South ▁Africa ▁does ▁not ▁need ▁the ▁extra ▁energy ▁that ▁a ▁new ▁nuclear ▁power ▁plant ▁would ▁generate ▁but ▁can ▁and ▁should