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DoE sends 50 nuclear trainees to China ahead of build programme

DoE sends 50 nuclear trainees to China ahead of build programme

Photo by Bloomberg

20th April 2015

By: Natalie Greve

Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

  

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In a bid to develop specialised nuclear skills ahead of the roll-out of its nuclear new build programme, government has announced that it will, this month, send 50 trainees from the South African nuclear industry to China to take part in a four-month nuclear power plant training programme.

The trainees were currently employed by “major” industry role players that continued to support government in its ambition to roll-out nuclear power plants. They would travel to the Shanghai Jiao Tong and Tsinghua Universities, where they would receive training in the form of lectures and tours to several of China’s nuclear facilities.

This followed the signing of a skills development cooperation agreement by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation and China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Company.

The Department of Energy (DoE) outlined in a recent statement that the trainees would receive lectures in nuclear safety regulatory systems, as well as other nuclear power plant-related subjects, including physical characteristics, nuclear island system equipment, codes and safety oversight, steam power conversion systems, material science and conventional island system equipment.

Additional subjects would include thermodynamics and the basis of reactor thermal hydraulics, radiation protection, electrical systems and equipment, generic mechanical equipment, instrumentation and control theories, water chemistry, operation theories, some basic knowledge of project management and nuclear safety culture.

“This training opportunity marks the first phase of a scope that aims to cover capability and technology in areas of nuclear power plant engineering, procurement, manufacturing, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance and project management,” it outlined.

The DoE added that the first phase was a trial phase and would be followed by a more intensive training programme that would cover on-the-job training at nuclear power plant construction sites.

The trainees would also be awarded bachelor's degrees in all engineering, natural and social sciences and would complete financial and project management programmes, as well as postgraduate courses.

“The second phase of this training will see South Africa sending 250 trainees to China to be trained at various levels,” said the department.

Further nuclear research collaboration would occur between South Africa and France, Russia, China, the US, South Korea, Japan, Canada, the UK and Germany.

South Africa was currently undertaking preprocurement investigations around prospective nuclear build vendor countries the US, South Korea, Russia, Canada, France, Japan and China, all of which had indicated interest in participating in the roll-out of South Africa’s nuclear infrastructure.

“The National Development Plan enjoins us to do thorough investigations on various aspects of the nuclear power generation programme before a procurement decision is taken,” the DoE stated.

The nuclear new build programme was premised on the Nuclear Energy Policy of 2008, which called for pressurised water reactor nuclear technology, similar to that of the Koeberg nuclear power plant, in the Western Cape.

This policy, in combination with the Nuclear Energy Act and the Integrated Resource Plan, was intended to add total electricity capacity of 9 600 MW to the grid by 2030, with the first reactor unit connection planned for 2023.

Government had already concluded intergovernmental framework agreements with all vendor countries, except Canada and Japan, whose agreements were at an advanced stage of completion.

All seven countries took part in three nuclear vendor parade workshops between October and March, at which the vendor countries presented their nuclear technology offerings to the DoE.

The four-month training programme would thus occur in parallel with the work being done in preparation for the procurement phase.

“Government remains committed to ensure energy security for the country, through the roll-out of the nuclear new build programme as an integral part of the energy mix.

“The nuclear new build programme will enable the country to create jobs, develop skills, create industries, and catapult the country into a knowledge economy. Government remains committed to a procurement process that is in line with the country’s legislation and policies,” said the DoE.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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