Eskom looks the other way as nuclear energy cleanup costs soar into taxpayers problem Energy expert Chris Yelland puts a spotlight on more financial woes at Eskom. The state-owned power utility has ignored the mounting costs associated with the decommissioning of its nuclear energy facilities. In 2019, South Africa’s government pledged to extend the life of its commercial reactor, Koeberg by 20 years but stored nuclear waste will also eventually have to be disposed of. Eskom admits that the line item for decommissioning and disposal of nuclear waste is a place holder on the balance sheet and is, in fact, reflected as a liability in its debt-burdened books. Yelland examines the full extent of the hole in Eskom’s budget and reveals who will ultimately have to pay the bill when Koeberg reaches the end of life. – Melani Nathan