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Boost For PBMR As Agreement Is Signed With Japan’s Mitsubishi

Written by NucNet
Thursday, 04 February 2010
The advancement of the next generation of nuclear reactors has received a boost with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between South Africa’s Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Ltd (PBMR) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) of Japan. The main objective of the MOU, signed yesterday, is to explore cooperation towards the construction of the first PBMR reactor for a customer in either South Africa or abroad. The MOU sets out the basis on which the parties will identify projects with the potential for cooperation. When such areas have been agreed, MHI will conduct part of the research and development for the first 200 megawatt thermal (MWt) plant design. Possibilities for further collaboration will be looked at, including construction of the first plant. The 200 MWt design is aimed at steam process heat applications operating at 720°C. PBMR said this provides a basis for penetrating the nuclear heat market as an alternative to carbon-burning, high-emission heat sources. In addition to generating electricity, the proposed unit could also service potential customers such as the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project in the US, which is funded by the US Department of Energy, oil sands producers in Canada and the South African petro-chemical industry. MHI did the basic design and research and development of a helium-driven turbo generator system and core barrel assembly, the major components of PBMR’s original 400 MWt, direct-cycle design. This concept was changed last year to a 200 MWt design which delivers super-heated steam through a generator. PBMR chief executive officer Jaco Kriek said both companies believe that high temperature, gas-cooled reactors using pebble fuel offer the best potential for sustainable, clean, reliable and safe sources of energy globally. He said the PBMR is especially suited to applications in areas lacking a fully developed power transmission grid. In September 2009 Mr Kriek said the project to build a demonstration PBMR plant had been “slowed down by the world economic crisis”. The project, which is backed by the South African government, involves the building of both a demonstration plant at Koeberg, the site of the country’s only existing nuclear reactor unit, and a pebble fuel manufacturing plant at Pelindaba near Pretoria. The schedule to start construction of the demonstration plant has previously been set as 2010 with completion by 2014.

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