CAPE TOWN: South ⁠African nuclear energy firm NECSA will soon launch the next phase of a ‌tender for a new multi-purpose research reactor aimed at maintaining its position as a top global exporter of ​medical isotopes, its CEO told Reuters on Tuesday.

The isotopes, used to diagnose and treat disorders such as cancer and ​heart disease, ​are created in small nuclear reactors dedicated to science and training rather than energy generation.

After issuing the request for proposals, NECSA aims to have a new ⁠20-30 megawatt plant operational by 2032/33, CEO Loyiso Tyabashe said during an interview.

Originally the request for proposals was due to take place by March 31, but if that does not happen, "I will be targeting first quarter of the financial year, which is April to June," ​he said.

Discussions with key ‌government departments, including ⁠the National Treasury, continue, ⁠he said.

 

COMPANY PREFERS TURNKEY OR EPC CONTRACT, CEO SAYS

NECSA preferred a turnkey or an engineer, ​procure and construct (EPC) contract to minimize project risks, Tyabashe said. Under both, ‌the contractor is responsible for the full project up until ⁠delivery.

Potential vendor countries include the likes of Russia, China, South Korea, U.S. and Argentina, he said.

The new reactor is planned to operate alongside the decades-old 20 MW Safari 1 research reactor at Pelindaba by extending the life of Safari 1, he said.

Operational since 1965, Safari 1 is one of the world's top producers of Molybdenum-99, or Mo-99, used in millions of diagnostic tests for cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.

"We want to operate in parallel so that we solidify our footprint in the isotope market and ‌don't create a gap, because once customers are gone, they are ⁠gone."

NECSA is also on track to start the tender process ​for a pilot small modular reactor, with an expression of interest later this month, Tyabashe said.

He declined to disclose the cost of the multi-product reactor but said together with the SMR initiative, ​the two programs made ‌up most of an 80 billion rand ($4.72 billion) infrastructure push by ⁠NECSA to rebuild South Africa's nuclear capacity.

($1 = ​16.9441 rand) (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda and Jan Harvey)