The load shedding chaos, disruption and damage to the economy is again part of the daily South African experience and has been intermittently since 2007.
David Nicholls, a senior manager with Eskom for over 30 years, will present the technical, financial and political factors that underpinned decisions made in the 1990s, which led to the power crisis in SA since 2007. He will also address the claim that the electricity crisis has caused the national GDP to be 25% less
that it could have been if different approaches had been taken from the 1990s.
Before his retirement in December 2018, Dave Nicholls served Eskom as Chief Nuclear Officer
accountable for all Eskom’s nuclear activities, including the operation and engineering of the
Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, the development of the new build nuclear programme and the
high temperature gas cooled nuclear research and development restart.
He is currently co-Chair of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical working group on Nuclear Power Plant Operations, served on World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) working group on post Fukushima Design Review Standards from 2012-2015, and was Chairman of the IAEA Technical Working Group on Advanced Light Water Reactors from 2010 to 2017.
Before emigrating to South Africa in 1984, Dave served in the British Royal Navy as an Engineering Officer in Nuclear Submarines.
Media enquiries
For more information and to arrange for photographs and interviews, contact:
Jayne Boccaleone
082 904 3616
jboccaleone@gmail.com
Other enquiries
Joan Evans
011 884 0270
joanevans@fmfsa.org