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| South Africa’s Pebble Bed Company Joins Forces with MHI of Japan |
4 February 2010 - Back |
| Author/Source: PBMR Corporate Communications |
PBMR |
- The advancement of the next generation of nuclear reactors has received a boost with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 3 February by South Africa’s Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd (PBMR) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) of Japan.
MHI did the basic design and research and development of a helium-driven turbo generator system and Core Barrel Assembly, the major components of PBMR’s original 400 MW thermal, direct-cycle design. This concept was changed last year to a 200 MWt design which delivers super-heated steam through a steam generator.
The main objective of the MOU is to explore cooperation to enable the construction of the first PBMR reactor for a customer in either South Africa or abroad. The MOU sets out the basis on which the parties will negotiate to identify a project or projects with the potential for possible cooperation. When such areas have been agreed, MHI will conduct part of the research and development activities for the 200 MWt plant design. Possibilities for further collaboration will be probed, including construction of the first plant.
The 200 MWt design is aimed at steam process heat applications operating at 720°C, which provides the basis for penetrating the nuclear heat market as a viable alternative for carbon-burning, high-emission heat sources. In addition to generating electricity, this concept can also service potential customers such as the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project in the US, which is funded by the US Department of Energy, oil sands producers in Canada and the South African petro-chemical industry.
According to Mr. Akira Sawa, MHI’s Executive Vice-President and General Manager of Nuclear Energy Systems, MHI is delighted to still be involved in the PBMR project. “We firmly believe that High Temperature Reactors will be one of the viable future reactors. We are therefore prepared to perform certain research and development work to assist in the success of this project.”
He says the future potential of the technology lies in the utilisation of higher output temperatures from the reactor system. “There are therefore important additional technological development opportunities that can be exploited. The possibility that PBMR may in future still want to pursue the direct cycle, gas-turbine design, should also not be ruled out.”
PBMR CEO Jaco Kriek welcomed the cooperation with MHI. He said the MOU can create interesting opportunities for the future commercialization of the technology, such as jointly developing and exploiting markets for the pebble bed plants.
“Both companies believe that high temperature, gas-cooled reactors using pebble fuel offer the best potential for sustainable, clean, reliable and safe sources of energy globally,” says Kriek. He added that MHI’s participation in the project further demonstrates the potential for advanced reactor technologies with passive, inherently safe characteristics.
“The pebble bed technology will bring a new option to the energy market which offers flexible, smart grid solutions for electricity, customer-centric process heat and steam solutions for petrochemical industries, oil sands extraction and desalination. It will also pave the way to high-temperature hydrogen production.”
He pointed out that the PBMR is especially considered to be well suited to applications in areas lacking a fully developed power transmission grid. |
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