{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"climate_tags":["nuclear energy"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'nuclear energy' for facet 'climate_tags' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":2,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?climate_tags=nuclear+energy","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"cer-000642","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/cer-000642","title":"ADDITIONAL WRITTEN COMMENTS ON THE INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) UPDATE: ASSUMPTIONS, BASE CASE RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS, REVISION 1 AND ON THE DRAFT INTEGRATED ENERGY PLAN (IEP): MISSING COSTS","publisher":{"name":"Centre for Environmental Rights","organization":"centre-for-environmental-rights"},"document_type":"statement","language":"en","date_published":"2017-08-11","source_url":"https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CER-Letter-to-DoE-re-IRP_11-Aug-2017.pdf?x21779","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, submitted additional comments to the South African Department of Energy regarding the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and Integrated Energy Plan (IEP). The letter argues that current energy modelling fails to account for critical externalities, specifically the health and water costs of coal, the high nitrous oxide emissions associated with circulating fluidised bed combustion technology, and comprehensive nuclear lifecycle costs.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000642#summary","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The Life After Coal Campaign and Greenpeace Africa argue that both the Department of Energy's draft IRP and the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research's (CSIR) alternative IRP fail to adequately incorporate the health and water costs associated with new and existing coal investments.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000642#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The circulating fluidised bed combustion (CFB) technology proposed for the Thabametsi coal-fired power station and other bidders in the Coal Baseload Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (CBIPPPP) produces significant nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. This makes Thabametsi 60% worse in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity than Eskom's Medupi and Kusile power stations, a factor the CER claims was not considered in the Department's modelling.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000642#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The CER asserts that the Department's costing model for nuclear energy is insufficient because it only considers construction, operation, and fuel costs. It demands the inclusion of decommissioning costs, used fuel storage and handling costs, and insurance risk cover.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"cer-000642#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-08-17"}],"climate_tags":["energy transition","greenhouse gas emissions","coal","nuclear energy","integrated resource plan"],"geography_discussed":[],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["policy critique"]},{"id":"issafri-000696","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/issafri-000696","title":"Nuclear energy rethink? The rise and demise of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor","publisher":{"name":"Institute for Security Studies","organization":"institute-for-security-studies"},"document_type":"research paper","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://issafrica.org/research/papers/nuclear-energy-rethink-the-rise-and-demise-of-south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"This research paper by Dr David Fig examines the failure of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project and critiques the government's continued commitment to nuclear power despite issues with governance and public policy.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"issafri-000696#summary","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project in South Africa faced a significant funding crisis in 2010 when the government announced it would stop providing substantial state funds, leading to the dismissal of 75% of the project's staff.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"issafri-000696#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"The PBMR project spent approximately nine billion rands of state funds without achieving its plans or securing significant external investment or clients.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"issafri-000696#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-08-17"},{"text":"Despite the apparent abandonment of the PBMR, the South African government continues to signal a commitment to adding substantial nuclear power to its energy mix, an effort the author suggests is occurring without addressing democratic governance, public policy making, or the influence of lobby groups.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"issafri-000696#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-08-17"}],"climate_tags":["energy transition","nuclear energy"],"geography_discussed":[],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["policy analysis"]}]}