South Africa’s Nuclear Energy Corporation trumpets six expansion programmes

Watch video: NECSA turnaround strategy resulting in stability, growth – NECSA CEO, Mr Loyiso Tyabashe

• In a press briefing yesterday the CEO of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA), Mr Loyiso Tyabashe, confirmed that the state-owned nuclear body is prioritising six programmes, estimated to cost approximately R50 billion.
• Loyiso also denied claims made by the Trump administration that there is nuclear cooperation between South Africa and Iran.

The first programme is to re-establish the front-end fuel supply chain in South Africa. The second programme looked at power generation from nuclear power, including research on small modular reactors. The third programme was to extend the life of the Safari-1 reactor beyond 2030 to continue producing radioisotopes.

NECSA head of Nuclear Operations and Advanced Manufacturing, Ayanda Myoli, confirmed approval and R1.2-billion in funding from Treasury for the second phase of its multipurpose reactor, which entails doing the detailed design. The new reactor will be used to produce radioisotopes for use in healthcare. The new reactor will increase production capacity of the current facility – Safari 1.

Other programmes include its subsidiary Pelchem which is building a xenon difluoride reactor to add to the speciality fluoride materials it is already producing and Nuclear Radioisotopes (NTP) which is building a facility to produce more isotopes. The six programme is to continue with training and skills development and capacity building to ensure the nuclear industry in South Africa has the skills it needed.

“We are refocusing on our core mandate of nuclear research and innovation to support the nuclear industry in South Africa. As part of the transition of the stability to growth strategy, the board approved six high-impact programmes two years ago, which are the next phase of our strategy,” said Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe.

Once troubled with allegations of incompetence and corruption, NECSA has stabilised its finances, posting a profit over the past two years, and improved its performance to above 80%. It also achieved clean, unqualified audits for it and its subsidiaries, with the remaining work being to address some of the findings made by auditors, said Tyabashe.

Tyabashe said that the six programmes would require investment of about R50-billion, although a more precise figure was only likely to be determined by the end of this year. NECSA would also provide timelines for the projects by the end of the year, as part of its efforts to be transparent and share information with the public, committed Tyabashe.

“Our turnaround since 2021 is based on our five pillars of excellence, accountability, safety, integrity and innovation. These have borne fruit, which is visible in our performance over the past two years. “We have stabilised the organisation and now need to grow,” conclude Tyabashe.

Author: Bryan Groenendaal