As South Africa looks set to build 2,500MW of new nuclear energy, Pretoria-based engineers have developed a unique nuclear reactor which requires funds for its development.
Stratek Global, a company run by nuclear physicist and former chairperson of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) Kelvin Kemm, has developed a first-of-its-kind reactor that requires R9bn to build.
Kemm told TimesLIVE Premium that South Africa is one of the leading nations when it comes to nuclear technology and its engineers were some of the most sought-after in the world.
Stratek Global, based in Centurion, regularly carries out development work for companies in the US and other parts of the world.
Kemm said there was no need for the country to look internationally for all our solutions as many local nuclear capabilities were on a par if not higher than many of those from the developed western nations.
“We are looking for the money to build the first reactor... we are looking for $480m, we have teams going around the world contacting various people... others who are interested visit us here in South Africa,” Kemm said.
He said South Africa had been working on a nuclear development and research project since the early 1990s called the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) programme. However, after former president Thabo Mbeki's tenure, government opted to no longer to invest in the project.
Kemm said, however, the experience from the work that had already been done on the PBMR project led to the development of the HTMR-100, which was now a completed design and awaits construction.
He said the HTMR-100 produces 100MW of heat which translates to 35MW of electricity.
“Our reactor has been designed such that you can have up to 10 reactors attached to one control room. You can add them at a pace that you can afford,” Kemm said.
Kemm said the reactors would function “like a number of locomotives on an electric train, with only one driver” thereby increasing the energy-generating capacity.
He believes South Africans who work on other nuclear projects in the United Arab Emirates and the US have the necessary capacity and capability to contribute to providing nuclear energy solutions for the country.
Kemm said there were more than 150 South Africans working at a nuclear plant in the UAE and that showed that the country has much-needed skills as it seeks to go the nuclear route.
“South Africans just have a huge lack of self-confidence, which is not unexpected as we sit here at the bottom of Africa, we look at the world as the big place ... we don't believe in ourselves,” Kemm said.
He said those in the nuclear space know the capabilities of South African engineers including the Rolls-Royce company and others which plan to build a nuclear power plant that seeks to offer clean affordable energy.
When I was in London, I saw the Rolls-Royce people ... they said, 'you South Africans are 10 to 15 years ahead of us,' but everybody believes that Rolls-Royce can build a reactor
— Kelvin Kemm, former chair of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation
“When I was in London, I saw the Rolls-Royce people ... they said, 'you South Africans are 10 to 15 years ahead of us,' but everybody believes that Rolls-Royce can build a reactor,” Kemm said.
He said South Africa was the first country to first look into developing the small modular reactor, the HTMR, which was now also being developed by the Chinese and Americans who were relying on research done in South Africa.
He said the HTMR-100 has low cooling-water needs, which means it does not need to be constructed near the ocean and that made it ideal for inland sites and would not require long-distance energy distribution network lines.
Princess Mthombeni, founder of Africa4Nuclear, an organisation advocating for nuclear solutions, said South Africa was one of the world's oldest nuclear nations, with the SAFARI-1 research reactor having been operating for nearly 60 years.
“Our educational institutions have consistently produced graduates in engineering disciplines, equipping them to contribute significantly to national growth and excel internationally,” Mthombeni said.
Mthombeni echoed Kemm's views on the South Africans based in the UAE working on a build project, which she said “highlighted the global impact of our educational and training programmes”.
She said many countries that are aiming to decarbonise their electricity supply are relying on nuclear, hydro or a combination of both.
“South Africa, however, has limited hydro capacity, making nuclear a crucial part of our Just Energy Transition Plan. For instance, to achieve net zero by 2050, the US plans to at least triple its current nuclear capacity, adding 200 gigawatts to the grid,” Mthombeni said.
She said given this global trend, it made sense for South Africa to consider more than just 2,500MW of nuclear power.
“The draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023 suggests adding up to 15,000 Mwe by 2050, including the initial 2,500MW. At Africa4Nuclear, we fully support this proposal,” she said.
Mthombeni added that South Africa “is well endowed with nuclear capability and should leverage this to align with the global consensus that nuclear power will play a critical role in the future clean energy mix”.
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