South Africa\u2019s renewable energy programme will deliver enough electricity on time and on budget without the risk of nuclear accidents, a protesting environmentalist said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
David le Page of Fossil Free South Africa was protesting outside Parliament along with peers who were demanding transparency from the government regarding the funding model of its nuclear energy programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should avoid nuclear energy because it is way more expensive than what we can afford and it\u2019s not necessary given the renewable energy resources that we actually have,\u201d said Le Page.<\/p>\n
\u201cNuclear energy is extremely expensive. We have incredible wind and solar energy resources in South Africa,\u201d he said. \u201cThe very ambitious renewable energy programme that we have is already saving us an enormous amount of money that we would otherwise have spent on gas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read:\u00a0SA nuclear plans: how the hell are we going to pay for it?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n He said baseload power is not a function of a particular type of energy. \u201cIt is a function of how you manage your overall electricity grid and particular resources within that grid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you combine sufficient wind and solar and solar thermal resources that we have in South Africa, then we don\u2019t need nuclear and we certainly don\u2019t need it at the price that it is coming in at.\u201d<\/p>\n Le Page said nuclear power plants around the world are coming in over budget and over time. \u201cThis nuclear programme that\u2019s been proposed for South Africa in secrecy without transparency \u2026 is likely to cost R1trn to begin with, but who knows what it will cost us if it is not built on time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMeanwhile, our renewable programme is being built on time and on budget very successfully.\u201d<\/p>\n Fin24<\/a><\/p>\n Why South Africa should steer clear of nuclear<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The evolution of nuclear technology<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n SA\u2019s R1 trillion nuclear power plans<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on nuclear energy<\/h3>\n