Wikipedia
By Ciaran Ryan
Cabinet has approved a replacement for the 56-year-old Safari-1 nuclear reactor at Pelindaba, which catapulted South Africa to world leadership in the production of medical isotopes used in the treatment of cancer.
The Safari-1 reactor is operated by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria.
It will be replaced by a multipurpose reactor (MPR) which is expected to cost about R12 billion, with construction expected to start in 2026 and be completed in 2032.
"There will be some 5 000 direct and 26 000 indirect jobs created during construction," says Necsa chair David Nicholls.
"The nuclear reactor will provide employment to about 750 full-time employees and an additional 3 800 indirect jobs for its operation and fulfillment of its research mandate at the NBLC [Neutron Beam Line Centre] during its operational lifetime."
The MPR project moved into the feasibility phase in April 2021, a process that will last until about March 2023. Part of this process includes a request for information (RFI) from potential vendors, which will also indicate potential cost. The RFI is expected to go out to the market next month.
The new reactor will have a life of about 60 years and will have far greater flexibility and efficiencies than the current reactor.
The MPR provides a wider range of manufacturing possibilities and potential markets that can be harnessed and will allow Necsa to produce new radioisotopes that are seen as the future in therapeutic nuclear medicine.
This includes the production of short-range radioisotopes that will be delivered by smart delivery systems to tumour cells, radiating cell by cell and thereby eliminating the cancer while preserving surrounding healthy tissue.
As Moneyweb previously reported, the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) shut down the Safari-1 reactor on several occasions over violations of safety protocols, which were administrative rather than physical breaches of safety.
These shutdowns resulted in Necsa losing market share to competitors. Nicholls says the situation with the regulator has stabilised over the last year, allowing Necsa to regain lost market share.
The reactor is widely used by researchers and academia in SA and across the continent, giving SA a seat at the nuclear table internationally.
In a statement, Necsa says the MPR will expand these research capabilities and outputs substantially in that it will be equipped with a cold neutron source that extends the delivered range of neutrons to long wavelengths (very low energies).
