British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) is a ”partner from hell” and should not be involved in the proposed pebble-bed modular reactor, says environmental lobby group Earthlife Africa.
”This bankrupt British company, wasting billions of British taxpayers’ pounds, is not welcome in South Africa,” said spokesperson Mashile Phalane on Wednesday.
He said members of Earthlife’s Johannesburg branch and of the Nuclear Energy Costs the Earth campaign will hand over a memorandum to the British consulate on Thursday containing their objections.
BNFL is a 22,5% partner with Eskom and the state-owned Industrial Development Corporation in the company formed to oversee the commercialising of the mini nuclear reactor.
Eskom is currently seeking approval to build a demonstration model at Koeberg outside Cape Town.
Phalane said BNFL, which operates in 15 countries, is technically bankrupt, with a debt of about R350-billion, which will be carried by the British taxpayer.
He also said BNFL is ”not very good” at making nuclear fuel and is ”dangerous”.
The governments of Ireland and Norway officially complained in 2003 that BNFL at Sellafield was polluting their lobster, shellfish and salmon by discharging technetium-99 into the sea.
”What does this tell us about the pebble-bed project if this is the only kind of partner the PBMR [pebble-bed modular reactor] can attract? The only other non-South African partner, Exelon, has left already. The full cost of this expensive experiment will be carried by South African and British taxpayers,” said Phalane. — Sapa