South Africa needs more skills for nuclear energy programme

Although specialised skills are available in South Africa to assist in the development of South Africa’s proposed nuclear power programme, more skilled people will be needed to successfully execute the programme, says North-West University (NWU) School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering director Professor Harry Wichers. “We have specialised skills in South Africa, which I am sure will take us very far; however, according to a report released by the National Nuclear Regulator of South Africa, the country will need hundreds of skilled artisans, technicians, engineers and project managers for the proposed 9 600 MW nuclear build project,” he told Engineering News Online during a tour of nuclear giant Rosatom’s nuclear power plant, in Novovoronezh, Russia.