Eskom and Coega Development Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to coordinate South Africa’s Nuclear New Build Programme (NNBP), covering infrastructure development, regulatory readiness, and supplier development.
The agreement, involving Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station with Coega’s Special Economic Zone, aligning the utility’s technical nuclear mandate with the industrial development agency’s logistics, manufacturing, and infrastructure capabilities.
The Chief Executive Officer of Coega Development Corporation, Themba Koza, described the agreement as a key step in strengthening coordination among state entities.
“This collaboration underscores the importance of working together to advance South Africa’s strategic and developmental objectives,” he said.
Eskom’s Chief Nuclear Officer, Velaphi Ntuli, said the partnership represents a shift in how large-scale infrastructure projects are approached.
Nuclear expansion plans
South Africa’s nuclear programme has remained largely unchanged for decades. Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is still the country’s only nuclear facility and has been in operation since the 1980s.
Eskom has been considering plans to expand nuclear capacity for years, with previous proposals delayed by cost concerns, shifting demand projections, and institutional challenges. The country has also faced broader electricity supply challenges.
Electricity shortages and reliance on ageing coal infrastructure have kept nuclear energy in long-term planning discussions.
Recent developments include the extension of Koeberg’s operational life.
The government has continued preparatory work on potential new nuclear sites and regulatory processes.
The MoU outlines cooperation across several operational areas tied to nuclear deployment. These include site readiness, skills development, logistics coordination, and socio-economic investment initiatives.
Details of the project
The MoU places emphasis on coordination between energy generation and industrial infrastructure. Unlike earlier nuclear proposals, the agreement integrates the role of an industrial development agency in project planning.
Coega Development Corporation operates one of South Africa’s major special economic zones, with existing capabilities in logistics, manufacturing support, and infrastructure delivery. This aligns with Eskom’s technical mandate in nuclear development.
Ntuli noted that shared planning between institutions would be critical in driving sustainable development and national progress.
The Nuclear New Build Programme is expected to form part of South Africa’s long-term energy mix, alongside other generation sources. Nuclear power remains one of the few options capable of providing continuous baseload electricity at scale.
The bottom line
South Africa currently operates a single nuclear power station, Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, which contributes a portion of the country’s baseload electricity supply.
The Nuclear New Build Programme is aimed at adding new nuclear capacity over the long term, although timelines and project scale remain subject to regulatory and financial processes.
Coega’s CEO stated that the partnership would support broader economic participation.
“This milestone speaks to energy security and industrialisation, both of which are critical to the country’s future,” he said.
According to the utility, the partnership is designed to align technical, industrial, and logistics capabilities required for the rollout of new nuclear capacity in South Africa.
