A consortium between two South African companies, Group Five, through Group Five Nuclear Construction Services, and Lesedi Nuclear Services, has secured a contract for the design, manufacture and replacement of the 1 800 m³ refuelling water storage tanks at Eskom’s Koeberg nuclear power station, in the Western Cape.

The value of the contract is not disclosed.

The tanks play a vital role in maintaining operational safety of the nuclear power plant by providing borated cooling water to the reactor and the fuel storage ponds. This requires conformance to stringent nuclear quality and safety standards throughout the full lifecycle of the project.

As part of the skills development portion of the contract, the consortium commits to train 45 people across various occupational groups over the duration of the contract, which is scheduled for completion at the end of 2015.

This training process will include professional engineers, project managers, specialists, technicians and artisans.

“For Group Five, this is a step forward in our nuclear readiness strategy,” says Group Five Nuclear Construction Services director Des Muller.

“The group’s success in securing this contract is attributable to the alignment of our proven tank building capabilities with the timely investment and establishment of a dedicated and internationally experienced nuclear standards and leadership division. The consortium’s aligned strengths and capabilities – and those of its partners – have made it possible to achieve the high technical criteria set by Eskom, which is encouraging for the local industry. Our close cooperation with our consortium partner Lesedi Nuclear Services has made the localisation of a project of this magnitude a reality.”

Lesedi’s close relationship with Areva, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for Koeberg, and a major shareholder in Lesedi Nuclear Services since 2006, has been a successful combination, adds Lesedi Nuclear Services CEO Francis Carruthers.

He says the Koeberg contract is testament to the local industry’s ability to localise nuclear projects, while Areva’s involvement as the OEM ensures the safety and integrity of the tank design and conformance to international nuclear best practices.

“This was the perfect opportunity for the consortium to demonstrate a workable and sensible localisation programme for South Africa,” says Carruthers.

Lesedi has already completed more than 150 plant modifications at Koeberg.

Eskom is equally pleased to have South African suppliers qualify for a project of this nature, as it supports the parastatal’s drive for increased localisation, notes Koeberg senior manager nuclear projects Sedick Davis.

“We will not compromise on any quality aspects and expect this contract to be an example of what is achievable with local skills. The consortium will also be working with other South African service providers on this project, which will allow Eskom to gauge the extent to which cooperative local ventures are possible.”