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Nuclear News

Necsa advocates for further investment in nuclear power

By: Marleny Arnoldi 25th November 2021 The National Nuclear Regulator on November 23 and 24 hosted public hearings into the Thyspunt nuclear installation site licence application made by power utility Eskom, during which the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) highlighted its support for the installation. The corporation... →

Rolls-Royce and partners launch specialist small modular nuclear reactor company

By: Rebecca Campbell 9th November 2021 UK-based global industrial technology group Rolls-Royce announced late on Monday the creation of a new subsidiary company, Rolls-Royce SMR Limited. This is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) which is focused on the development of Rolls-Royce’s small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) project and the... →

French nuclear group buys Rolls-Royce’s civil nuclear control business

By: Rebecca Campbell 9th November 2021 French nuclear design, engineering, manufacture and construction company Framatome announced on Monday that it had completed its acquisition of Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear Instrumentation and Control (I&C). This move strengthens Framatome’s worldwide development and deployment capabilities... →

Nuclear regulator assures that contamination incident at Koeberg did not involve reactors

By: Rebecca Campbell 8th November 2021 The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) on Monday assured that a reported incidence of airborne contamination at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant (NNP) did not come from the nuclear reactor. Koeberg, which is owned and operated by State-owned national electricity utility Eskom, has two reactors and... →

Construction of Chinese small modular reactor achieves major milestone

By: Rebecca Campbell 26th October 2021 A major structural component for China’s ACP100 demonstration small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) has been installed at the Changjiang nuclear power plant (NPP), on the Chinese island province of Hainan, “World Nuclear News” has reported. The component is a steel containment vessel bottom head,... →

A photo of the ACP100 reactor containment vessel bottom head being craned into position

Photo by China National Nuclear Corporation
The ACP100 reactor containment vessel bottom head is craned into position

Stage 2 load-shedding to continue until Saturday morning

By: Creamer Media Reporter 26th October 2021 Power utility Eskom has announced that, owing to a shortage of generation capacity, Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from 09:00 on October 26 to 05:00 on October 30. "While Eskom teams have successfully returned a unit each at the Kusile, Matimba and Arnot power stations during the early... →

To cut carbon emissions, Germany needs to keep nuclear plants open and close coal plants

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th October 2021 A study, commissioned by Berlin-based science and the environment association Ökomoderne e.V. and executed by Finnish not-for-profit research company Think Atom, has concluded that Germany’s current policy of closing its nuclear power plants early would result in the country releasing no less... →

Energy transition holds greatest promise for growth, job creation and development

By: Schalk Burger 19th October 2021 A transition away from fossil fuel-based electricity to renewable-based electricity in South Africa can contribute significantly to job creation, growth and increased availability of electricity to support other commercial activities, four investment and energy specialists noted during a... →

South African nuclear entity signs memorandum with its South Korean counterpart

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th October 2021 The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the (Republic of) Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Kaeri), the South African State-owned entity announced on Thursday. The MoU was signed in a virtual ceremony, came into... →

Mantashe opposes coal ban for climate aid

By: Bloomberg 14th October 2021 Rich nations shouldn’t force South Africa to ban new coal-power projects and impose other conditions as a requirement for funding to help reduce its environmental footprint, the country’s energy minister said. Gwede Mantashe last month skipped a meeting with climate envoys from the UK, US,... →

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

Ten EU countries call for the bloc to formally include nuclear in its future energy mix

By: Rebecca Campbell 13th October 2021 Earlier this week, several newspapers across the European Union (EU) published a letter in support of nuclear energy, jointly signed by 15 Energy and Economy Ministers from ten EU countries, World Nuclear News has reported. The Ministers hailed from Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland,... →

Full-scale mock-up of and advanced small modular nuclear reactor unveiled in the UK

By: Rebecca Campbell 4th October 2021 Two nuclear technology companies, the Anglo-Dutch U-Battery and the UK’s Cavendish Nuclear, have unveiled a full-scale mock-up of U-Battery’s advanced modular reactor (AMR) design. The mock-up includes the reactor vessel, the intermediate heat exchanger vessel, and the connecting duct (which is... →

UK becomes first country to publish proposals for the regulation of nuclear fusion power

By: Rebecca Campbell 1st October 2021 The UK government has released regulatory consultation proposals for the regulation of future nuclear fusion technology and power plant design, development, construction and operation. These were contained in a document called the Fusion Green Paper, which was published on Friday. The public and... →

Necsa welcomes Nersa decision on new nuclear energy for South Africa

By: Rebecca Campbell 29th September 2021 The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) on Wednesday announced its support of the recent National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) decision to approve the Section 34 (of the Electricity Regulation Act) Determination for 2 500 MW of new nuclear energy. Necsa described this... →

Nuclear corporation highlights benefits to South Africa of Multipurpose Reactor project

By: Rebecca Campbell 27th September 2021 The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) has highlighted the importance to the country, and indeed the wider world, of the now-authorised programme to construct a new Multipurpose Reactor (MPR). It did so in its statement, issued on Sunday, welcoming the Cabinet’s decision to approve... →

Nkabane says South Africa will move ahead with nuclear procurement in 2022

By: Terence Creamer 21st September 2021 Deputy Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane says that South Africa plans to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for a 2 500 MW nuclear programme by the end of March 2022 and complete the procurement in 2024. In an address to the sixty-fifth general conference of the... →

Photo of the Koeberg nuclear power station

The only allocation made in the IRP 2019 for nuclear relates to extending Koeberg's life

Plan to replace SAFARI-1 with multi-purpose nuclear reactor gets Cabinet nod

By: Terence Creamer 20th September 2021 Cabinet has approved the setting up of the multi-purpose nuclear reactor project to replace the current SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor, owned by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa). The research reactor, located at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria, is a leading global producer of... →

The Pelindaba complex, west of Pretoria

World nuclear energy use to grow over next 20 years, requiring increased uranium mining

By: Rebecca Campbell 9th September 2021 The World Nuclear Association (WNA) has forecast that worldwide nuclear energy generation capacity will grow by 2.6% a year over the next 20 years. The prediction is contained in the WNA publication The Nuclear Fuel Report: Global Scenarios for Demand and Supply Availability 2021-2040, which was... →

An image of drill rigs exploring for uranium

Uranium mining and production at Katko, in Kazakhstan.

Ukrainian, US companies enter agreement to build new nuclear reactor

By: Rebecca Campbell 8th September 2021 Ukrainian nuclear energy company Energoatom has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with US nuclear manufacturing company Westinghouse, for the completion of the former’s Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant (NPP) unit 4, using the latter’s AP1000 reactor technology, World Nuclear News has reported.... →

A photo of the Energoatom delegation inspecting an AP1000 reactor vessel stored at a US facility

Photo by Energoatom
The Energoatom delegation inspects an AP1000 reactor vessel stored at a US facility

Russian arctic mining project to be powered by nuclear energy

By: Rebecca Campbell 6th September 2021 Russian civil nuclear shipping and floating nuclear power plant company Atomflot, part of the State-owned Rosatom nuclear group, has signed a preliminary agreement with mining company GDK Baimskaya to provide four small modular reactors (SMRs) to power the miner’s Baimskaya copper and gold... →

Organisations raise concern over lack of public participation in nuclear energy talks

By: Marleny Arnoldi 2nd September 2021 Societal wellbeing organisations the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (Safcei) and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg have expressed their concern about the South African government pushing for more nuclear energy, while renewables wait in the wings. The two organisations... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Koeberg nuclear power station

Koeberg Unit 1 to be returned to service at the weekend following reactor trip

By: Creamer Media Reporter 1st September 2021 Power utility Eskom says the Koeberg Unit 1 reactor tripped at 16:30 on August 30, as a result of a fault on the electrical breaker to one of the primary coolant pumps. "Eskom can confirm that the reactor was then safely shut down by the operators, in compliance with the operating procedure. →

Outa notes with concern Nersa subcommittee’s recommendation to approve new nuclear capacity

By: Donna Slater 20th August 2021 The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) reports with “extreme concern” that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) electricity subcommittee has conditionally indicated approval, on August 20, of the government’s proposal that South Africa should build another 2 500 MW of... →

Jacobs appointed to modify Koeberg’s secondary turbine system

By: Donna Slater 12th August 2021 NYSE-listed consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery company Jacobs has been appointed to carry out essential engineering modifications as part of a R20-billion programme to extend the operating life of South Africa’s only nuclear power station – Koeberg, in the Western Cape. The... →

an image of Eskom's Koeberg nuclear power plant

The Koeberg power plant

Opinion: Is nuclear part of the answer to sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity shortage?

21st July 2021 In this opinion article, South African Institute of International Affairs’ Isabel Bosman argues that, despite its pitfalls, nuclear is still an avenue worth exploring to address sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity supply deficit. →

Africa in position to further global nuclear nonproliferation, but competing interests hamper efforts

By: Schalk Burger 24th June 2021 Africa can further the pursuit of global nuclear nonproliferation, but competing interests and objectives are hampering efforts to drive this goal on the international stage. University of South Africa department of political science professor Jo-Ansie van Wyk noted during a June 23 webinar that... →

Fluor repositions South African unit to support energy transition drive

By: Terence Creamer 14th June 2021 Global engineering and construction company Fluor, which has been closely associated with South Africa’s liquid fuels and chemicals industries since the 1960s, has restructured its South African operations to align with the unfolding transitions under way in the energy and mining sectors. Fluor... →

Fluor South Africa GM Bill Langenbach

Chinese small modular nuclear reactor demonstration plant approved for construction

By: Rebecca Campbell 8th June 2021 The China National Nuclear Power (CNNP) company has received approval to build its small modular reactor (SMR) demonstration plant at Changjiang in China’s southernmost (and island) province of Hainan, “World Nuclear News” has reported, citing a CNNP notice to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. CNNP is... →

Photo by CNNC
A cutaway diagram of a nuclear power plant with two ACP100 reactors

Eskom suspends Koeberg GM while delayed unit investigation ensues

By: Marleny Arnoldi 7th June 2021 State-owned power utility Eskom has confirmed that the GM of its Koeberg nuclear power station has been suspended while investigations are ongoing into the performance of the power station. In the meantime, Eskom’s chief nuclear officer Riedewaan Bakardien will oversee the operations of the... →

UK researchers announce major advance in developing practical nuclear fusion reactors

By: Rebecca Campbell 27th May 2021 The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has announced the successful testing of a new concept on its MAST Upgrade experiment, which could remove one of the major problems in the development of nuclear fusion energy. Currently, the world derives nuclear power from fission, which involves, to... →

Four energy scenarios that may define Southern Africa’s energy transition

By: Donna Slater 27th May 2021 Four vastly different energy transition scenarios, from very ambitious to the least ambitious, were posited by management advisory Africa International Advisors integrated energy practice leader Henry Gilfillan this week. The four scenarios, presented during a webinar on hydrogen, gas and... →

International Atomic Energy Agency announces hybrid nuclear-renewable energy research

By: Rebecca Campbell 24th May 2021 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a call for research proposals, into hybrid nuclear and renewable energy systems. This call falls under the IAEA’s Coordinated Research Project (CRP). “Nuclear and renewables are the two principal options for low [carbon] emission energy... →

Rolls-Royce-led consortium unveils optimised design for its small modular reactor

By: Rebecca Campbell 18th May 2021 UK-based global industrial technology group Rolls-Royce has announced that the small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) consortium that it leads has upgraded the SMR’s design and increased its power output. This announcement, on Monday, marked the completion of the first phase of the project, which... →

Photo by Rolls-Royce
An artist’s impression of the upgraded and optimised UK SMR design

Nuclear power station maintenance under way

30th April 2021 In the recent system status and outlook briefing by State-owned power utility Eskom that took place on March 15, 2021, details of the refuelling and maintenance outage of the Koeberg nuclear power station were provided. The maintenance outage of Unit 1, which is currently in progress, started on... →

To keep Koeberg going, Eskom must convince regulators it has enough money

By: News24Wire 26th March 2021 If it wants the legal right to keep the Koeberg nuclear power station running, Eskom will have to convince nuclear regulators – and, perhaps, the courts – that it has the money to do so. Under rules published by minerals and energy minister Gwede Mantashe Friday, anyone who wants to keep an old... →

Electricity sector developments

26th March 2021 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the details of the nature and pricing for projects selected as preferred bidders for the emergency bid window; the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's view of the future; and global wind installations... →

Electricity sector developments

Fossil fuels found accountable for millions of deaths

By: Halima Frost 19th March 2021 Fossil fuels are, through a marked contribution to air pollution, accountable for 8.7-million deaths globally in 2018, which adds to the mounting evidence that air pollution from ongoing dependence on fossil fuels is detrimental to global health, says University College London (UCL) associate... →

POISON Fossil fuels are responsible for millions of deaths globally every year

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