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South African utility Eskom has deferred the replacement of three steam generators at unit 2 of its Koeberg nuclear power plant until its next planned outage in August 2023. The move was made due to concerns the reactor would not be returned to service after the current outage in time for the high-demand winter period.

Necsa - the South African Nuclear ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Corporation - has released a Request for Information for the Multipurpose Reactor to replace the 56-year-old Safari-1 research reactor located at Pelindaba.

Unit 2 of South Africa’s Koeberg nuclear power plant has been taken offline for refuelling and the replacement of its three steam generators and reactor pressure vessel head. The work is part of plans to extend its operation for 20 years, and scheduled to take five months.

The South African cabinet has approved the construction of the Multipurpose Reactor to succeed the Safari-1 research reactor which is located at Pelindaba. Safari-1's operator, Necsa, said the cabinet approval allows the lead-time needed to ensure radioisotope production is not interrupted. The company has also expressed its support for the recent approval by the country's energy regulator of a ministerial determination to procure new nuclear generation capacity.

South Africa plans to issue a Request for Proposal for 2500 MWe of new nuclear capacity at the end of March 2022 and complete the procurement process in 2024, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane told the International Atomic ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Agency 65th General Conference. The country is also finalising its ratification of the amended Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

"There is an old phrase, 'No buying; no dying", Professor James Larkin of the University of Witwatersrand told the ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Association Annual Symposium in a presentation today. "We are aiming to use nuclear science techniques to devalue rhino horn and bring an end to poaching," he said, explaining the conservation goals of the Rhisotope Project.

A new international project to use nuclear science-based techniques to drastically reduce rhinoceros poaching has been launched in South Africa. The Rhisotope Project was initiated by the University of Witwatersrand in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Colorado State University, Russian nuclear company Rosatom and the Nuclear ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Corporation of South Africa as well as global scientists, researchers, rhino owners and veterinary surgeon and rhino expert William Fowlds.

South African utility Eskom and the National Nuclear Regulator have refuted media reports that the reinforced concrete containment buildings at the Koeberg nuclear power plant have suffered extensive corrosion and would not be able to prevent the release of radiation in the event of a severe accident. They say tests have confirmed the performance of the structures, to which repairs have already been made.

The National ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Regulator of South Africa is inviting public comment on the government's plans for the procurement of 2500 MW of new nuclear generation capacity. The regulator has published a 21-page consultation paper on which the public has until 5 February to comment. It will then hold public hearings through online platforms.

If the world is to win the fight against climate change, it is vital that developing countries, including those on the African continent, adopt low-carbon electricity systems that can also keep pace with increased demand created by population growth. This was the message of Philippe Costes, senior advisor to the director general of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear Association, to participants in the Power & Electricity ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Africa 2020 conference held on 6 November.

The US Department of ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß has approved a cost-share award of more than USD1 billion for the construction of the first NuScale small modular reactor power plant in the USA. Meanwhile, the US International Development Finance Corporation has signed a Letter of Intent to support NuScale in the development of nuclear generating capacity in South Africa.

The first of six replacement steam generators for South Africa's only operating nuclear power plant have arrived at the Koeberg site, plant owner and operator Eskom has announced. Steam generator replacement is part of a ZAR20 billion (USD1.2 billion) programme to extend by 20 years the operating life of the two-unit plant.