Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom is seeking to augment its ability to deliver on the South African government’s localisation requirements for the country’s planned new nuclear power plant (NPP) programme. To do so, it is seeking to strengthen existing, and establish new, relationships with South African companies active, or interested, in the nuclear sector. To this end, the Russian group will be hosting a regional forum in Johannesburg, called Atomex Africa, which will take place on November 25.

It has invited both senior government officials and those active in the local nuclear sector, including the Nuclear Industries Association of South Africa, to attend. They will be briefed on Rosatom’s technologies and procurement processes and it might also be possible to promote active cooperation with companies in the group’s current supply chain.

“[T]his is a great opportunity for everyone involved to interact and foster a positive working relationship going forward,” affirmed Rusatom Overseas South Africa marketing director Alexander Kirillov. Rusatom Overseas is a subsidiary of Rosatom, and promotes Russian nuclear technologies in international markets. It is also the integration agency for Rosatom NPP construction projects outside the former Soviet Union.

Rosatom stresses that localisation is a full part of its policy. The group argues that the construction of a fleet of new NPPs in South Africa could create 15 000 new jobs for the building, operation and servicing of the new plants. Several thousand more jobs would be created in related industries.

Last year, Rosatom estimated that South African content for a first new NPP could be between 30% and 40%, but that this could rise to 60% for the seventh and eighth new units. The South African input for the first NPP could comprise construction (amounting to 24% of the project), electrical devices and transformers (8%), some instrumentation and control systems (4%), piping (2%) and air conditioning (2%).

Construction of new NPPs would thus, the group affirms, be a major boost to the South African economy. Further, Rosatom argues, nuclear-generated electricity will increase the competitiveness of South Africa’s energy intensive industries.

The Russian group reports that it can provide South Africa with an integrated solution, from supplying uranium and/or nuclear fuel to the construction, operation and decommissioning of the NPPs, including financing for the programme. Rosatom assures that its technologies are fully compliant with all post-Fukushima requirements. “We pride ourselves on the strong principles that govern our operations and the professionalism that goes into all projects we are involved in,” stated Kirillov.

The Russian group is offering South Africa its latest Generation III + VVER nuclear reactor technology. The VVER is the Russian version of the pressurised water reactor (PWR) – the reactors at South Africa’s current and sole NPP, at Koeberg, near Cape Town, are PWRs. (It should be noted that South Africa has bought nuclear fuel from Rosatom for the Koeberg NPP.)

The standard reactor Rosatom currently offers international clients is the VVER 1200, which is an evolutionary development of the well-proven VVER 1000 design. The VVER 1200 is so designated because it produces about 1 200 MWe. It has a longer life, greater thermal efficiency and more power than its predecessor.

The Rosatom group includes more than 250 companies and research agencies, incorporating Russia’s entire civil nuclear sector. This includes the world’s only fleet of civilian nuclear-powered ships (icebreakers operating in the Arctic). The group is active in more than 40 countries on five continents and has more nuclear pro- jects around the world that any other company. These include projects in Bangladesh, China, India and Turkey.
At the moment, the company is building 28 nuclear power reactors, 19 of them outside Russia.