Production of graphite feedstock for South Africa's demonstration Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) is set to start in Germany, PBMR (Pty) Ltd announced on Friday.

This followed SA's National Nuclear Regulator — the statutory body tasked with protecting the public, property and environment against nuclear damage — saying it had no objections to the start of graphite material production, the company said in a statement.

Graphite is used in the PBMR both to line the reactor's pressure vessel and in the fuel "pebbles" themselves.

Production of the graphite feedstock is to be carried out by the German company, SGL Carbon.

"Graphite is a major component of the pebble bed reactor functionality and a central part of the passive decay heat removal path which is a major reason why the PBMR is a globally accepted safe design that eliminates core damage.

"This means that the core of the pebble bed modular reactor cannot suffer a 'core melt', making this a Generation IV, or leading technology, nuclear reactor.

"The NNR's statement means that they are satisfied that the graphite material used to manufacture fuel for the [demonstration] reactor will be of the highest standards, and ensure that the PBMR will perform to its predicted best-in-the-world safety capabilities," the company said.

There are plans to build a demonstration PBMR at Koeberg in the Western Cape.

Sapa