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The end for South Africa’s failed Pebble Bed Nuclear Reactor

Hopes that a successful bid by a US consortium — which included Westinghouse, one of the PBMR’s partners — for the US’s next-generation nuclear plant programme would give the PBMR a new lease of life were dashed when Westinghouse withdrew in May.

Hogan ends pebble bed reactor project, BusinessDay The government’s decision to stop investing in the project supersedes its previous decision to downsize the PBMR company by 75%. LINDA ENSOR 2010/09/17 Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan drew the final curtain yesterday on SA’s bid to be a leader in nuclear technology when she announced the closure of the pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR), which has cost R7,4bn of taxpayers’ money………

Other reasons cited by Ms Hogan for the Cabinet’s decision were that the PBMR had not been able to secure an anchor customer or another investment partner and the project could require further investment of over R30bn.

Deadlines had been consistently missed, “with the construction of the first demonstration model delayed further and further into the future”.

Hopes that a successful bid by a US consortium — which included Westinghouse, one of the PBMR’s partners — for the US’s next-generation nuclear plant programme would give the PBMR a new lease of life were dashed when Westinghouse withdrew in May.

……. The PBMR project has cost R9,2bn over 10 years, with 80,3% coming from the state. Eskom contributed 8,8%, Westinghouse and the Industrial Development Corporation 4,9% each, and Exelon 1,1%.

BusinessDay – Hogan ends pebble bed reactor project

September 17, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Africa, technology | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology