Foreign interest in South Africa’s plans to develop a small, safe, clean and cheap nuclear pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) is high, says Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin.
”There are constant requests for information from different governments, utilities and research institutions on the PBMR technology,” he said in a written reply, tabled on Monday, to a parliamentary question.
On the recent withdrawal of United States gas and electricity utility Exelon from the project, he said PBMR (Pty) Ltd would replace this investor.
”The present investors in the PBMR are Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation, and British Nuclear Fuels.”
On the total development costs of the PBMR to date, and the projected total costs, Erwin said: ”Given that there are other shareholders involved, and the project is in a fund-raising exercise, this information is confidential and cannot be divulged”.
Last year, the department of environmental affairs and tourism gave the project a qualified thumbs-up, following a three-year environmental impact assessment.
Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk is currently considering appeals against this decision, a process he is expected to complete before the end of this year.
The next stage of the PBMR project will involve building a demonstration module at Koeberg in the Western Cape, as well as an associated fuel plant at Pelindaba, near Pretoria.
Going ahead with these will be subject to the SA National Nuclear Regulator issuing a construction licence, and the approval of Cabinet. – Sapa