Cabinet approved a replacement for the 56-year-old Safari-1 nuclear reactor in Pelindaba, which has catapulted South Africa to the top in the production of medical isotopes for the treatment of cancer.
The Safari-1 reactor is operated by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) in Pelindaba, west of Pretoria. It will be replaced by a multipurpose reactor (MPR), which is expected to cost around R12 billion, construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2032.
“About 5,000 direct and 26,000 indirect jobs will be created during construction,” says Necsa Chairman David Nicholls.
“The nuclear reactor will provide around 750 full-time employees and an additional 3,800 indirect jobs for its operation and the fulfillment of its research assignment at the NBLC.” [Neutron Beam Line Centre] during its operating time. ”
The MPR project entered the feasibility phase in April 2021, a process that will last until around March 2023. Part of this process includes a request for information (RFI) from potential vendors, who also identify potential costs. The RFI is expected to be launched next month.
Flexibility and efficiency
The new reactor will have a lifespan of around 60 years and be far more flexible and efficient than the current reactor.
Loyiso Tyabashe, CEO of Necsa, says the new reactor ensures that SA is among the top four radioisotope manufacturers in the world and is able to continue its cutting-edge research and development in the field.
The MPR offers a wider range of manufacturing capabilities and potential markets to be exploited and will enable Necsa to manufacture new radioisotopes that are believed to be the future in therapeutic nuclear medicine.
This includes the production of short-range radioisotopes that are delivered to tumor cells by intelligent delivery systems that radiate cell by cell, eliminating the cancer while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue.
Relationship with the regulatory authority has “stabilized”
As Moneyweb previously reported, the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has the Safari-1 Reaktor on multiple occasions for violating security protocols that were more administrative than physical security violations.
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These closures resulted in Necsa losing market share to competitors. Nicholls says the situation with the regulator stabilized over the past year, allowing Necsa to regain lost market share.
Necsa currently holds approximately 20% of the world medical isotope market.
Due to the short half-life of these drugs, the products must be shipped to patients within one day of manufacture in order to develop the desired therapeutic effect. The regulator’s reactor shutdown forced customers to turn to competitors who were able to meet stringent delivery times for therapeutic treatments.
Leading role in the world market
The reactor is widely used by researchers and universities in South Africa and across the continent, giving SA a seat at the nuclear table internationally. In a statement, Necsa said the MPR will significantly expand these research capabilities and results by equipping it with a cold neutron source that extends the range of neutrons delivered to long wavelengths (very low energies).
“The inclusion of a cold neutron source in the MPR will also make it the only cold neutron source available in Africa and could therefore spark interest in the region and the continent,” says Necsa.
“This capacity will be located in the Neutron Beam Line Center (NBLC), which is connected to the MPR and will function as a new large research center equipped with an extensive suite of neutron scattering applications.”
The new reactor will benefit the national and international health sector, especially cancer treatment, through Necsa’s leading role in the research and production of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.
Other sectors that will benefit from the MPR are mining and industry, power generation, agriculture, earth sciences, forensics, and education.
“The MPR project is expected to have significant social, economic and environmental benefits for the country. A significant part of the products is sourced locally during the MPR construction, [and] to boost the local and national economies, ”says Nicholls.
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