THYSPUNT NUCLEAR MILESTONE IS A DEFINING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BAY AND THE EASTERN CAPE
Published: October 21, 2026<< BACK TO NEWS
I welcome the decision by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to accept the Final Scoping Report for the proposed 5200MW nuclear power plant, with Thyspunt in the Kouga Local Municipality motivated as the preferred site.
This decision allows the project to proceed into the full Environmental Impact Assessment phase. It is not yet an authorisation to build, but it is a serious step forward for one of the most significant infrastructure investments ever contemplated for our region and Province.
For too long, the Eastern Cape has been spoken about as a province of potential. A project of this scale gives us the chance to turn that potential into permanent economic strength.
This announcement comes just days after I joined an Eastern Cape delegation led by Premier Oscar Mabuyane, together with district leadership from Sarah Baartman, Coega, AIDC and ECSECC, Koi San traditional leadership on an oversight visit to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in the Western Cape.
At Koeberg, I saw firsthand how a nuclear facility operates alongside a host community. We were briefed on its safety systems, environmental management, employment footprint and local procurement practices, as well as its impact on surrounding communities and the natural environment over four decades.
What we saw confirmed that nuclear power can coexist with coastal communities, tourism and a healthy environment when it is properly managed. I returned with valuable lessons, but more importantly with confidence that Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape are ready to support a project of this nature.
As the economic engine of the Eastern Cape, Nelson Mandela Bay is ready to anchor this investment. Our port infrastructure, automotive and manufacturing base, engineering capability and Nelson Mandela University make the metro the natural partner for a development of this magnitude.
I see five clear opportunities for our region:
1. Energy security that underpins industrial competitiveness and protects jobs in our manufacturing sector.
2. Construction and operational employment over many years. I will be calling strongly for local recruitment and skills development for young people across the Bay and Kouga.
3. Supplier development opportunities for local businesses, SMMEs and cooperatives in logistics, construction, hospitality and support services.
4. Skills transfer and research partnerships with our universities and TVET colleges, building a new generation of engineers, artisans and technicians.
5. Investment in roads, water and supporting infrastructure that will serve our communities long after construction ends.
I acknowledge the rigorous requirements the Department has set, including detailed studies on wetlands, marine life, the chokka squid fishery, heritage, water security and community impacts.
We welcome this scrutiny. Development that ignores the environment and the people who live alongside it is not development we want. I call on all residents, fishing communities, heritage bodies and businesses to participate fully in the next phase of public engagement, so that every voice shapes the outcome.
As the City, we will continue to engage all stakeholders including Eskom, the Kouga Local Municipality, other state-owned enterprises, organised business, civil society, traditional authorities and the provincial government to ensure that the preparedness benefits of this project are shared equitably across the region.
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