Nuclear localisation memorandum between US and SA nuclear companies

12th March 2013 By: Keith Campbell - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between US nuclear company Westinghouse Electric and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), the American enterprise reported on Tuesday. The MoU covers the investigation of, and cooperation in, the development of nuclear-fuel-assembly component fabrication capabilities in South Africa.

“By signing this MoU with Necsa, we are showing our commitment to provide nuclear technologies and engineering support to the South African nuclear industry,” affirmed Westinghouse VP and MD: France, Benelux and South Africa François Harari. “We are proud of our proven Westinghouse technology and our global capabilities to deliver safe, reliable and clean baseload nuclear power.”

“Necsa welcomes this partnership for local fuel development with Westinghouse,” stated Necsa CEO Phumzile Tshelane, “and we are excited by the localisation benefits that will come with this agreement.”

Westinghouse sees the MoU as an affirmation of its commitment to South African nuclear technology localisation. “By using Necsa’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, this MoU will lead to closer cooperation towards fuel component manufacturing as well as nuclear fuel technology support in the future,” it said in a press release.

South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan 2010 foresees the country building nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 9.6 GW by 2030. “Westinghouse firmly believes in the huge potential growth of South Africa’s energy business towards a more balanced portfolio of clean sources of renewable and nuclear energy,” stated the company. It asserted its commitment to active involvement, through localisation and a network of South African industrial companies, in electricity generation in the country.

The company’s local subsidiary, Westinghouse Electric South Africa, has offices in Centurion (south of Pretoria) and Cape Town, and not only supports South African electricity utility Eskom’s Koeberg nuclear power plant but also nuclear projects in China, France, Germany, the UK and the US. Westinghouse is itself part of Japan’s Toshiba group.

The US business has been supplying fuel to Koeberg since 2000, under a contract with Eskom to deliver three fuel reloads. The last of these is scheduled to be delivered in the middle of next year.