South africa eyes nuclear plant site near critically endangered african penguin colony

South Africa’s state electricity company Eskom is reconsidering two previously rejected locations for the country’s third nuclear power plant, including a controversial site near one of the world’s most important African penguin colonies. The two potential sites under review are Thyspunt on the Eastern Cape coast and Bantamsklip near Dyer Island in the Western Cape, where a critically endangered population of African penguins is already struggling with declining numbers.

Environmental groups are raising serious concerns about the Bantamsklip location. “Bantamsklip is a globally unique coastal environment with extremely high ecological value, and the risks from infrastructure of this scale remain unacceptable,” warned Wilfred Chivell, founder of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. The site’s proximity to the penguin colony adds another layer of complexity to South Africa’s nuclear expansion plans.

This marks the latest chapter in South Africa’s decades-long nuclear development saga. The country’s first nuclear facility, the Koeberg plant, has supplied about 4% of national electricity since 1984. Plans for a second plant, which began in the mid-2000s, faced years of legal battles over environmental and safety concerns before finally selecting Duynefontein as the site in August 2025. Now Eskom has launched environmental impact assessments for the proposed 5,200-megawatt third facility, with Thyspunt as the primary candidate and Bantamsklip as the alternative option. The company says it will apply lessons learned from previous controversial siting decisions as it navigates the complex balance between energy needs and environmental protection.