SA, Japan explore nuclear cooperation
8 February 2010
South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) programme and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan have signed an agreement to develop the next generation of nuclear reactors.
The PBMR is a high temperature gas-cooled reactor with a closed-cycle, gas turbine power conversion system.
Although it is not the only gas-cooled, high-temperature reactor currently being developed in the world, the South African project is internationally regarded as a leader in high-temperature reactor technology.
"The main objective of the memorandum of understanding is to explore cooperation to enable the construction of the first PBMR reactor for a customer in either South Africa or abroad," PBMR said in a statement last week.
The memorandum set out the basis on which the parties would negotiate to identify a project with the potential for possible cooperation, PBMR said.
MHI did the basic design and research and development of a helium-driven turbo generator system and core barrel assembly, the major components of PBMR's original 400 MW thermal direct-cycle design.
The concept was changed in 2009 to a 200 MW thermal design which delivers super-heated steam through a generator.
According to Akira Sawa, MHI's executive vice-president and general manager of nuclear energy systems, high temperature reactors would become one of the viable future reactors.
"We are therefore prepared to perform certain research and development work to assist in the success of this project," he said.
He said the future potential of the technology lay in the utilisation of higher output temperatures from the reactor system.
"There are therefore important additional technological development opportunities that can be exploited.
"The possibility that PBMR may in future still want to pursue the direct cycle, gas-turbine design, should also not be ruled out."
PBMR chief executive officer Jaco Kriek said the agreement could create "interesting opportunities" for the future commercialisation of the technology, such as jointly developing and exploiting markets for the pebble bed plants.
Sapa
