South African energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has rejected a statement from the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) claiming the country's $66bn nuclear procurement process had been put on hold. South Africa was expected to finalise some requirements for its 9.6GW nuclear expansion by today, in which Russia and China are potentially to build six nuclear power plants. A ministry spokesman reported that the Energy Department is awaiting approval from the Treasury and the Independent Power Producer Office before releasing a request for proposals. The DA called for the nuclear program to be abandoned from the outset with the expectation that it could be the most expensive procurement in South Africa's history, and decisions risked being made without the necessary public scrutiny.
South African energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has rejected a statement from the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) claiming the country's $66bn nuclear procurement process had been put on hold. South Africa was expected to finalise some requirements for its 9.6GW nuclear expansion by April, in which Russia and China are potentially to build six nuclear power plants. A ministry spokesman reported that the Energy Department is awaiting approval from the Treasury and the Independent Power Producer Office before releasing a request for proposals. The DA called for the nuclear program to be abandoned from the outset with the expectation that it could be the most expensive procurement in South Africa's history, and decisions risked being made without the necessary public scrutiny.