The Detailed Feasibility Report (DFR) for South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project has been completed. The DFR has been accepted by the investors and submitted for review to a 14-member panel of international experts appointed by the South African government.

The dominant question the DFR set out to answer is the technical, commercial, and economic feasibility of the PBMR. The design basis is a direct-cycle closed-cycle gas turbine with a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor as the heat source, using helium as the working fluid. Although it is not the only high-temperature, gas-cooled nuclear reactor currently being developed in the world, the South African project is regarded as the leader in the field.

Under development by the South African utility giant Eskom, the South African Industrial Dev elopment Corporation (IDC), British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) and the US electricity utility Exelon Corporation, the intention is to build a 120-MWe class demonstration module at Koeberg, near Cape Town, where Africa's only nuclear power station is situated.

Feasibility study

Dave Nicholls, CEO of PBMR, says although there are some technical issues that need more detailed assessment, the feasibility study has confirmed that there are no issues that cannot be resolved.

The next phase of the project will involve more detailed engineering and planning work. Assuming shareholder approval, a favourable outcome of the environmental impact assessment, the issuing of a construction licence by the South African National Nuclear Regulator and government consent, it is envisaged that construction work could begin by mid-2003. If so, the first PBMR will be completed by 2006 and operational by 2007. New modules should be able to be supplied fairly quickly after that.

Background

The PBMR project should be seen against the background of the particular economic circumstances of Eskom, the project's dominant investor, Eskom is one of the world's largest utilities by generation. Although the electricity demand in South Africa is currently lower than the capacity, it is anticipated that new capacity will have to be commissioned by about 2008. Even moderate growth of 2,5% will result in peak electricity demand exceeding capacity between 2005 and 2010. In addition, Eskom's older power stations reach the end of their design life after 2025. South Africa will, therefore, need to access and use all natural resources to produce the additional 20 000 MW of electricity that will be needed by 2025.

In view of this, Eskom has been investigating the PBMR as part of its Integrated Electricity Planning process. In 1995, Eskom commissioned a pre-feasibility study followed by a techno economic study in 1997. By mid-1998, the project had progressed to the point at which it had entered the full-scale engineering design phase. The first phase of the project, which was given the go-ahead by the South African government in April 2000, involves undertaking a detailed feasibility study, an environmental impact assessment (EIA), and a public participation process.

Virtual product development

PBMR's design department uses both Unigraphics and iMAN, which is supplied locally by Estech Design Technologies to create and manage the virtual model of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor. Estech Design Technologies Engineering Systems Design Technologies is a privately owned South African company that supplies and implements Unigraphics, iMAN, Solid Edge, SmartTeam and the e-Vis product range and are also involved in support and training of their local users in all the products they supply.

Estech Design Technologies

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