Ailing state-owned entity Eskom may have competitors in AfriForum.
Lobby groups claim they are in the process of creating a pebble-bed reactor power plant that is compact enough to fit on a truck and provide entire cities with reliable power for up to 40 years.
Households and businesses in South Africa are suffering from crushing burdens as angry and frustrated citizens call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to find a solution to the crisis.
Talk to The WargaAfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said the gravel-bed reactor power station is a more comprehensive solution to stop open shedding.
Eskom cannot meet the demand
“The fact is that we know that Eskom will not be able to provide the electricity needed for the country in the future. One hopes for a recovery, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Kriel said the reactor would not be a quick fix, but a start to addressing the electricity crisis facing South Africans.
“One has to be humble about this, there is no quick fix and no single organization, such as AfriForum, can solve this. But what we want to do is play a simple role so that others can participate.
A three-phase plan
Kriel said AfriForum has a three-phase plan to tackle the energy crisis.
He said the first step to help consumers become independent from Eskom, including mounting a court case against the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa).
“The second stage is to free cities, towns and communities from electricity sold by municipalities. The model for this plan is the Mafube Local Municipality, near Frankfort in the Free State, where the private utility business owned by Rural Maintenance has successfully managed the town’s electricity supply for the past 10 years.
Kriel said the long-term plan is to develop South Africa’s first modular pebble-bed reactor, using funding from foreign and local investors.
“In the long term, specifically nuclear energy can play a role. This will probably be a 10-year project. There are good signs, we have talked to experts about this and held discussions with people who are funders.
Kriel said the biggest problem is changing the legislative framework.
“Funding is not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is opening the regulatory and legislative framework that we are currently working on.
Also read: AfriForum sues Eskom
More than one power plant
Kriel said there will be a power plant in every city.
“You have to be in the cities themselves and the model project that I mentioned in Frankfort … So, I think in the future we will have these electricity providers in each city and this will also make you create local jobs,” said Kriel.
Listen to an interview with AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel
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