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Nuclear Energy

Nuclear medicine industry affected by Covid-19

By: Sabrina Jardim 6th May 2022 The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a drop of over 50% in services rendered in the nuclear medicine industry which has also led to unemployment and facilities closing down, says South African Society of Nuclear Medicine (SASNM) immediate past president Dr Moshe Modiselle. Current SASNM president Dr... →

New system to advance precision health

30th April 2021 Medical technologies and digital infrastructure provider GE Healthcare unveiled StarGuide, a next-generation single-photon emission computerised tomography/computerised tomography (SPECT/CT) system that uses the latest digital technologies to help clinicians improve patient outcomes in bone... →

MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS GE Healthcare unveiled StarGuide, a next-generation SPECT/CT system that uses the latest digital technologies to help clinicians improve patient outcomes in bone

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... →

Theranostics can play a role in nuclear medicine

By: Cameron Mackay 8th May 2020 The development and use of theranostics with nuclear medicine provides ample opportunity for nuclear medicine and molecular imaging to become more familiar to the public, and can help grow the local nuclear medicine industry, says South African Society of Nuclear Medicine president Moshe... →

SAFARI-1 FACILITY The facility conducts clinical trials with, and produces, radiopharmaceuticals or radioisotopes, such as key medical radioisotopes like molybdenum-99 and iodine-131

Environmental studies, discourse vital to decommissioning

By: Cameron Mackay 8th May 2020 With the decommissioning of South Africa’s two nuclear facilities officially planned for this decade, consulting engineers WSP hydrology senior associate Karen King states that, with all the environmental impact assessments (EIAs) to be conducted, interested and affected party (IAP) engagement... →

KAREN KING As with all EIAs undertaken locally, interested and affected party engagement will be essential. WSP is well-placed to undertake all of these studies

New infrastructure creates opportunities for demolition, decontamination

By: Cameron Mackay 8th May 2020 The development of new infrastructure, particularly in the expanding local mining sector, has created opportunities for demolition solutions provider Jet Demolition to be involved in sectional demolition and decontamination projects, particularly those involving radiological decontamination.... →

ION-OPENING EXPERIENCING Radiological decontamination and demolition projects can involve a range of procedures, including radiological scanning and testing of scrap metal after ultra-high pressure washing

Construction of nuclear plants will reinvigorate local manufacturing

By: Mamaili Mamaila 10th May 2019 One of the main objectives of government is to reinvigorate the local manufacturing sector and one of the ways to achieve that is to forge ahead with the construction of nuclear plants, says nuclear project management company Nuclear Africa CEO Dr Kelvin Kemm. →

POWER SAFETY Nuclear energy is the cheapest and safest way of producing power out of all the energy sources available in South Africa

Unreliability of coal power stations calls for a nuclear solution

By: Mamaili Mamaila 10th May 2019 With coal power stations starting to reach the end of their lives, owing to insufficient maintenance, the country’s only option going forward will have to be nuclear energy, says University of the Witwatersrand radiation and health physics unit director Professor James Larkin. →

UPSKILLING It is difficult to create new programmes and qualifications when there is so much resistance towards the industry from government in terms of having nuclear energy play a more important role in the power sector

Necsa releases new OSCAR version

By: Mamaili Mamaila 10th May 2019 State-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation’s (Necsa’s) radiation reactor theory department hosted the release of the fifth version of the Overall System for the Calculation of Reactors (OSCAR-5) at the user group workshop last month in Hartbeespoort, in the North West. →

NEXT GENERATION The OSCAR-5 system aims to respond to the challenging demands of the modern reactor analysis environment

NNR conference a key stakeholder platform for nuclear industry

By: Melissa Zisengwe 11th May 2018 State-owned entity National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) will host its second nuclear regulatory information conference at the Indaba Hotel & Conference Centre, Johannesburg, from May 16 to 18. The key themes for this year’s conference are the energy mix; safety and security culture; lessons learned... →

SECOND CONFERENCE The conference will be an interactive platform for the NNR to share regulatory information

Nuclear energy vital in building sustainable economy

By: Melissa Zisengwe 11th May 2018 The adoption and implementation of nuclear energy would help the country reach its energy targets and build a sustainable economy, says independent economic risk consultant Rob Jeffrey. “South Africa’s prioritisation of economic growth should include adopting an effective and efficient energy... →

ROB JEFFREY Nuclear energy would be a new industry for South Africa

Nuclear to shape future energy solutions

By: Melissa Zisengwe 11th May 2018 Nuclear Energy is globally recognised as a valuable source of safe, clean, reliable and affordable energy, and when harmonised with Africa’s abundant thermal, renewable and hydro resources, a balanced and sustainable energy portfolio for Africa can be achieved, says independent clean energy... →

DES MULLER highlights the importance of making smart choices regarding Africa’s energy planning

Nuclear energy provides secure, clean, affordable baseload power

By: Nadine James 12th May 2017 Nuclear energy is the only provider of secure, reliable, clean and affordable baseload power that, from a total lifecycle cost perspective, offers one of the most affordable electricity sources, states the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (Niasa). Niasa supply chain development... →

PELINDABA Some South African companies have already achieved local nuclear regulatory standards and requirements and have been implementing them on the Koeberg and Pelindaba's Research Reactor with success

Photo by Duane Daws
PELINDABA Some South African companies have already achieved local nuclear regulatory standards and requirements and have been implementing them on the Koeberg and Pelindaba's Research Reactor with success

Atomic agency looks to increase assistance to nuclear hopefuls

12th May 2017 Nuclear energy organisation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Russian State-owned atomic corporation Rosatom have reached an agreement that is aimed at strengthening IAEA assistance to member States that are considering introducing or expanding nuclear power programmes. Under... →

Photo by Duane Daws
NUCLEAR AMBITIONS Ghana may soon erect a nuclear power station, making it the second African country to do so

Focus on future uranium tech amid subdued price

By: Robyn Wilkinson 12th May 2017 With innovations in the extraction and application of uranium constantly being made, the Uranium 2017 International Conference will provide a platform for the discussion of advances in the industry and a forum for generating new ideas. →

LOCATION IS KEY The Uranium 2017 International Conference will include a site visit to Rio Tinto’s Rössing mine – the longest running uranium mine in the world

Nuclear is too expensive, too controversial

By: Nadine James 12th May 2017 Implementing a nuclear build programme in South Africa would be extremely difficult because of the associated expenses as well as the controversy surrounding nuclear power, says financial services company Thomson Reuters. “Globally, government decisions regarding nuclear programmes are delayed... →

ROBERT FISH The costs associated with constructing the necessary infrastructure added to the costs of importing most of the nuclear technology, fuel and materials, will incur large amounts of debt

Nuclear project affordability a concern for industry

By: Simon Sonnekus 6th May 2016 Owing to the current global economic climate, South Africa’s nuclear procurement deal has had several industry professionals questioning whether the country will be able to afford the projected R1-trillion project. “Currently, there is still a lot of market debate on whether South Africa can... →

COAL BASELOAD POWER In South Africa, the reality is that coal baseload is the most cost-effective power option as there is direct access to the raw materials

Nuclear energy not a threat for renewables

6th May 2016 Renewable energy producers who believe the new nuclear build programme could mean an end to business and the derailment of renewable energy targets can sleep easy, says Sandton-based corporate and commercial law firm Werkmans Attorneys director Happy Masondo. She notes that the derailment of... →

TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON
As of 2015 a total of 6 300 MW of renewable energy has been procured to be generated from renewable energy sources

Photo by Duane Daws
TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON As of 2015 a total of 6 300 MW of renewable energy has been procured to be generated from renewable energy sources

Nuclear energy obvious solution to SA power problems

By: Simon Sonnekus 6th May 2016 The nuclear new build programme, which is projected to supply the South African grid with 9.6 GW, will be a major step towards resolving South Africa’s power problems, says Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) sub-Saharan Africa VP Viktor Polikarpov. “ . . . for South Africa to... →

VIKTOR POLIKARPOV Rosatom is focused on providing tailored nuclear solutions to lower the cost of a unit of electricity

Safety prioritised at Niasa workshop

By: Simon Sonnekus 6th May 2016 Safety culture across the nuclear value chain was in the spotlight at the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (Niasa) workshop, held at the Country Club Johannesburg on April 8. Although the road to nuclear compliance was highlighted, the main theme of the workshop was the safety... →

NUCLEAR SAFETY To curb major nuclear incidents of the same magnitude as Chernobyl, in Ukraine, and Fukushima, in Japan, all the role-players have to commit to the core values of nuclear energy

Photo by Bloomberg
NUCLEAR SAFETY To curb major nuclear incidents of the same magnitude as Chernobyl, in Ukraine, and Fukushima, in Japan, all the role-players have to commit to the core values of nuclear energy

Economic status hinders nuclear developments

By: Simon Sonnekus 6th May 2016 The development of the proposed nuclear energy project in South Africa could become increasingly difficult to complete, should the economy be downgraded to junk status by credit rating companies. According to advisory firm KPMG global infrastructure major projects advisory head De Buys Scott,... →

DE BUYS SCOTT As long as the nuclear project remains affordable, South Africa can look forward to a cleaner, larger source of baseload energy

Nuclear waste remains a massive problem, says mechanical engineer

By: Dylan Stewart 8th May 2015 Despite attempts by nuclear power lobbyists to assuage global concerns about nuclear waste, University of South Africa (Unisa) college of law lecturer and power plant mechanical engineer Dr Khaled Qasaymeh tells Engineering News that the issue of nuclear waste is the one problem to which the... →

Treasury provided no input into nuclear

By: Dylan Stewart 8th May 2015 South African President Jacob Zuma’s affirmation of the country’s sourcing 9 600 MW of new-generation capacity by 2030 from nuclear did not involve any input from National Treasury. →

Govt about to enter nuclear procurement

By: Dylan Stewart 8th May 2015 Having completed the preprocurement phase of South Africa’s nuclear build programme, government has now entered into the next stage of the procurement phase, says Department of Energy (DoE) Nuclear Energy deputy director-general Zizamele Mbambo. →

Environmentalists take energy minister to high court

By: Dylan Stewart 8th May 2015 South African Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has agreed to increase the level of financial security for Koeberg from R2.4-billion to R6.1-billion. This follows the court case taken out by Global environmentalist organisation Greenpeace over Joemat-Pettersson’s failure to update South... →

India begins study into molten salt breeder reactor

8th May 2015 In the newly published Thorium Energy Report (ThoriumEnergyReport.org) India reported that it has initiated studies on a conceptual design of the Indian Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (IMBSR) →

‘Nuclear renaissance’ – professor

8th May 2015 Britain is undergoing a ‘nuclear renaissance’ and there was a new dynamism in the country’s nuclear industry, said British governmental foreign organisation the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office chief scientific adviser Professor Robin Grimes during his address at the National Science and... →

ROBIN GRIMES Britain is undergoing a nuclear renaissance

Clarity required on drivers of policy decision

3rd October 2014 In his State of the Nation Address in June, President Jacob Zuma fleetingly highlighted government’s support of a strategy to raise nuclear generation capacity in South Africa (quoting the potential for the addition of over 9 000 MW of nuclear capacity), while highlighting shale gas and nuclear... →

Nuclear industry remains dormant

By: Jonathan Rodin 3rd October 2014 The South African nuclear energy industry is currently dormant, but has the potential to “kick back into life” with adequate long-term planning and preparation, says engineering consulting firm GIBB power and energy GM Paul Fitzsimons. South Africa has one nuclear power station – State-owned... →

Power yield to increase by 10%

By: Jonathan Rodin 3rd October 2014 Nuclear power company Areva will design, manufacture and install six steam generators at the Koeberg nuclear power plant near Cape Town, in the Western Cape, which will increase State-owned utility Eskom’s power yield by 10%, says an Areva spokesperson. This will represent an additional 90 MW... →

Brics Ministers meet on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit

3rd October 2014 South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane convened a Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) foreign/international relations Ministers’ meeting in March on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit, in The Hague, Netherlands. The... →

SA future power needs uncertain, says consultancy

3rd October 2014 Given the current dampened state of national economic growth – with gross domestic product (GDP) growing at 1.9% in 2013 versus government’s long-term target of 4% to 5% – and industry’s rising focus on energy efficiency, the future of electricity demand within South Africa is anything but... →

Nuclear energy should contribute half of new power generation by 2025

3rd October 2014 Owing to electricity consumption in South Africa increasing rapidly since 1980, South Africa needs 40 GW of new power generation by 2025, about half of which should be nuclear energy, says State-utility Eskom. Eskom supplies about 95% of South Africa's electricity and about 45% of Africa's. Of... →

SA’s nuclear programme can be realised

By: Anine Kilian 4th October 2013 There is not a shortage of the underlying capability needed to realise the nuclear programme and associated infrastructure, provided it is planned and programmed properly, states consulting and engineering firm Gibbs’ general manager for power & energy, Paul Fitzsimons, adding that there are no... →

Nuclear exercise handled well – NNR manager

By: Anine Kilian 4th October 2013 The planned nuclear emergency exercise, held by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) last month at the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) complex at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria, was deemed successful. "From what I've seen, Necsa seems to have activated its emergency structures and... →

Researching safer nuclear technology

By: Anine Kilian 4th October 2013 One of the focus areas of the University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) Institutional Research Theme on Energy (IRT/E) is research on the effectiveness of using silicon carbide as a fuel cladding tube instead of zircalloy in light-water reactors, says UP professor Johan Slabber, who lectures on nuclear... →

SA must decide on next baseload power station

By: Anine Kilian 4th October 2013 South Africa, which currently has a power supply deficit, is at a point where, if it does not decide on its next baseload power station, it runs the risk of being unable to improve the current energy constraint situation, professional services firm Deloitte leader for infrastructure and power... →

Nuclear programme needs greater government commitment

By: Anine Kilian 4th October 2013 Many companies are reluctant to commit to South Africa's proposed nuclear programme until government shows a stronger commitment, states Global manufacturing and engineering company DCD. →

NUCLEAR THRESHOLD A lot of preparatory work is required before the manufacturing phase of South Africa's nuclear energy roll-out programme and local-content threshold can be realised

DCD nuclear business development manager Alan Reid discusses a 59% threshold for governments proposed nuclear energy roll-out plan. Camerawork and editing: Bruce Smyth.

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