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South Africa’s nuclear programme has attracted a great deal of public interest. This has ranged from serious scientific and engineering interest to the emotional attacks of the extreme antinuclear lobby. The antinuclear crowd does not comprise South Africa only; there are Germans, Americans and others coming here to try to derail the country’s nuclear build plans.

The ‘rules of engagement’ of the parties are not the same. The scientists and engineers on the pronuclear side try their best to be honest and accurate. The antinuclear crowd does not have any such constraints. The antinuclear lobbyists promote their ‘superior solution for mankind’ and, in doing so, quite freely distort the truth, fabricate stories and deliberately spread false rumours. They do this without blushing. For example, there is an initiative under way to reopen uranium mining near Beaufort West, and, in a flight of fantasy, one of their number claimed in a newspaper article that uranium mining in the area will make the N1 freeway so radioactive that it will be dangerous to drive on it. This was not a TV comedy show.

But back to reality. The yearly Nuclear Africa conference will take place near Pretoria on March 29, 30 and 31. There has been significant world interest and the primary guest speaker is World Nuclear Association director-general Agneta Rising. Other speakers include Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development nuclear economist Dr Geoffrey Rothwell, New Nuclear Watch Europe CEO Tim Yeo, World Association of Nuclear Operators CEO Peter Prozesky and international nuclear fuel manufacturer Urenco CEO Kirk Schnoebelen. There is also a number of high-profile local speakers, such as acting Eskom CEO Matshela Koko. There are also speakers from the major international nuclear vendor countries of Russia, China, France, South Korea and more. Associated with the conference is an exhibition in which all these countries and South African entities will participate.

Nuclear Africa 2017 is organised in conjunction with the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation. The National Nuclear Regulator will also field a speaker, who will address the role of the regulator in the process involving the introduction of the build of the new nuclear power fleet. The reactors of the new nuclear power fleet will be among the largest in the world.

South Africa needs that type of power to supply the anticipated electricity demand into the future.

However, in a completely different power size, there is the category of nuclear reactors known as small modular reactors (SMRs). These are 5% to 10% the size of the large reactors. The South African-developed pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR) is considered a world leader in the SMR class.
A number of African countries have decided to follow a nuclear power path and some have indicated to South Africa that they are interested in the PBMRs.

A loud round of applause needs to be directed towards Zambia. Why? Well, the Zambians launched a new nuclear university in December last year. They have plans to become an African centre of nuclear training. Excellent move. They plan to attract world-class lecturers and trainers to interact with them on a visiting lecturer basis. I have indicated to them that South African nuclear institutions would be only too happy to interact with them as they strive to achieve their goals. The nuclear family is an international family, keen to work in collaboration, to achieve its goals. We all have an interest in getting past the unfounded stories of radioactive freeways.

In December, South Africa’s nuclear new build procurement process was formally started with the international release of a nuclear request for information. At the end of January, an impressive 36 foreign companies had responded. So, the economic opportunities for foreign and domestic companies are phenomenal.

The Nuclear Africa 2017 conference will give people the opportunity to meet others and to trade ideas with people of significance.