South Africa

Despite the concerns of many critics the PBMR project is slowly moving forward. Yesterday, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was awarded two contracts worth $15 million to help build a demonstration advanced nuclear reactor :

The company developing the reactor said in a statement on Tuesday MHI would supply parts for the core barrel assembly, an integral component within the reactor pressure vessel of the new reactor design. It will also provide professional services for the assembly's design that will form part of the reactor's demonstration plant to be built at Koeberg, South Africa's existing nuclear facility near Cape Town.

 

South Africa plans to build a multi-billion-rand pebble bed reactor as it scrambles to find new energy sources to meet growing demand for electricity, with demand already almost outstripping supply. "In signing the core barrel design and long lead items for the core, PBMR (pebble bed modular reactor) has entered a new phase in the development of the PBMR technology," the PBMR company said.

 

The reactor is an advanced design that claims to dramatically improve safety and efficiency, but which environmentalists say is unsafe and creates radioactive waste. The government sees nuclear power as central to meet future energy demands and aims to produce a commercial pebble bed reactor within 10 years. The PBMR company said a third contract with HCI is expected to be signed in 2006 to manufacture the core barrel assembly, the value of which has not yet been finalised. The reactor is being developed by South African electricity utility Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation and British Nuclear Fuels Limited, although Eskom is looking to dilute its majority stake.

 

The M&G takes a more negative view of the project but also allows an interesting rebuttal by Tom Ferreira the PR manager of PBMR. IOL also predicts the plan will run billions over-budget.