South Africa has moved a contentious step closer to building its first new nuclear power station in four decades. On 8 August, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Dion George dismissed multiple appeals and upheld a 2017 decision that granted Eskom environmental authorisation to construct and operate a 4,000-megawatt plant at Duynefontein, a coastal site just north of the existing Koeberg facility outside Cape Town. According to Reuters, the minister also stressed that environmental approval does not remove the need for further permits and licences from other authorities.
The Duynefontein ruling revives a permitting process that began nearly two decades ago. In October 2017 the then-Department of Environmental Affairs issued Eskom a formal environmental authorisation to build “Nuclear-1” at the site, following a multiyear Environmental Impact Assessment that screened several locations. According to the department’s letter to Eskom at the time, the authorisation covered construction and operation of a nuclear power station and associated infrastructure at Farm Duynefontein 34 in the City of Cape Town.
World Nuclear News reported that while Eskom’s final EIA had identified Thyspunt in the Eastern Cape as the utility’s preferred location, the state ultimately authorised Duynefontein—adjacent to Koeberg—as a suitable site for up to 4,000 MWe of new pressurized water reactor capacity.
Environmental groups have pushed back throughout. Greenpeace Africa, Earthlife Africa and the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute filed appeals shortly after the 2017 decision, arguing affordability, safety and procedural concerns. According to Greenpeace Africa’s statements in late 2017 and 2018, and subsequent summaries by SAFCEI—those organisations sought to overturn the environmental authorisation or send it back for additional study. The minister’s August 2025 decision dismisses those appeals.
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Environmental approval is necessary, but not sufficient, for any South African nuclear build. According to the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), a project must still secure a Nuclear Installation Site Licence and, later, a Nuclear Installation Licence before any construction can occur. Eskom submitted site-licence applications for both Duynefontein and Thyspunt in 2016, covering “multiple nuclear installations” with the specific technology to be selected during procurement. The NNR’s guidance and statutory regulations under the National Nuclear Regulator Act spell out that no person may site, construct or operate a nuclear installation without the relevant licences.
The choice of Duynefontein naturally focuses attention on Koeberg, Africa’s only commercial nuclear power station. Koeberg’s two units together supply about 1,860 MW and roughly 5% of South Africa’s electricity. According to Reuters and Eskom, Unit 2 was re-synchronised to the grid on 30 December 2024 after extended life-extension work, while the NNR granted a 20-year licence extension for Unit 1 in July 2024, allowing operation to 2044; the regulator is due to decide on Unit 2’s long-term licence before its current authorisation expires in November 2025.
Emergency planning and land-use controls around the Koeberg/Duynefontein site remain part of the debate. The City of Cape Town’s planning framework and the NNR define a 5 km Precautionary Action Zone and a 16 km Urgent Protective Action Zone in which evacuation and other protective measures must be feasible. According to Reuters, the city has previously asked the NNR for more time to assess long-term operation at Koeberg, citing concerns about growing development within the emergency planning zone and its implications for evacuation.
Pretoria’s wider policy signal is that nuclear remains part of the future mix, but the procurement path has been uneven. The 2019 Integrated Resource Plan asked officials to begin preparations for up to 2,500 MW of new nuclear capacity, subject to due process. According to NERSA’s 2021 reasons for decision, the regulator gave concurrence to a ministerial determination for that amount, aligning with IRP 2019’s instruction to start preparatory work. In August 2024, the South African government withdrew the specific determination for procurement to allow further consultation amid court challenges, with the energy ministry indicating it would re-issue an updated determination thereafter. According to Reuters, the energy minister also said a pause would give the state time to deepen public participation.
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Vendor selection has geopolitical undertones that go beyond engineering. South Africa has said it would accept bids from any country that complies with its regulatory framework, including Russia and Iran, while also maintaining cooperation with Western governments under existing nuclear agreements. Analysts note that Russian state company Rosatom is active across Africa and offers state-backed finance; the Financial Times has reported concerns that heavy reliance on Russian vendors and financing can embed long-term geopolitical exposure for host nations.
Cost and delivery risks will be pivotal. International experience shows that large nuclear projects are capital-intensive and slow to deliver, but provide long-lived, low-carbon baseload once operating. According to the World Nuclear Association’s 2024 performance report, the median construction time for reactors connected to the grid in 2023 was about 121 months, roughly a decade, though outcomes vary by country and project standardisation. The International Energy Agency likewise notes renewed interest in nuclear to meet decarbonisation goals, while underscoring long lead times. As a regional comparator, Egypt’s 4.8 GW El-Dabaa project is being built by Rosatom at a reported cost of around $30 billion, much of it financed by a Russian state loan.
Radioactive waste responsibilities are also evolving. South Africa’s National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI) has taken over the low- and intermediate-level waste disposal licence and operations at the Vaalputs national repository, consolidating accountability that had previously been split with Eskom. According to BusinessTech Africa, the licence transfer took effect on 1 July 2025, aligning institutional roles with the country’s waste policy.
For now, Minister George’s decision restores momentum on one piece of a larger puzzle. According to World Nuclear News, the environmental authorisation confirms Duynefontein as an approved site for up to 4,000 MWe but leaves many steps ahead: an NNR site decision, a construction licence, a technology and vendor choice, a financing model, and grid integration plans. Each of those decisions will shape cost, schedule and risk—and determine whether new nuclear actually comes online within South Africa’s planning horizon.
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