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Eskom has purchased a total of 3 163.4 hectares in the Kouga area, Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has told the National Council of Provinces.
Replying to a written question, Gigaba revealed that the power utility had started purchasing land in the area, which is earmarked for the construction of Nuclear 1 at Thyspunt, as far back as 1989 and accumulated considerable land between then and 1994.
Eskom started buying land again in 2008 and purchased 16.8 hectares in 2012 and 21.4 hectares this year.
Gigaba declined to say whether there were any properties within the two kilometre zone of Thyspunt that did not belong to Eskom as disclosure of the details of properties earmarked by and not yet owned by Eskom will prejudice the commercial negotiations.
He said that at this stage there was no plan to purchase properties for an administrative and training centre.
Gigaba also revealed that no properties had been purchased for sub-stations or power lines for the existing transmission network or for any other purpose including residential and commercial. Cabinet has yet to approve the nuclear programme.
However, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said in Port Elizabeth recently it was not a question of “if, but when the nuclear power station would be built, saying this was part of making the area an energy hub.
(Source: Metro Minute to subscribe mail metminutes@iafrica.com)
