Reclaiming South Africa's Position in the Nuclear Fuel Race

As the global nuclear industry shifts towards advanced reactors, the demand for high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) is surging. HALEU is defined as uranium enriched to more than 5% but less than 20% uranium-235. Many emerging advanced reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs) require HALEU to enable smaller cores, longer operating cycles, better fuel utilization, and greater design flexibility. However, the global commercial supply of HALEU currently remains constrained, prompting nations to rethink their nuclear fuel strategies.

Learning from the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Program

South Africa previously developed sophisticated capabilities in coated-particle nuclear fuel during its Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) program. The PBMR design utilized TRISO-coated uranium dioxide particles with a reference fuel enrichment of about 9.6% U-235, which falls squarely within the HALEU range. Through this initiative, extensive expertise was built at Pelindaba in fuel kernels, coating technologies, and graphite fuel manufacture.

Rather than attempting to immediately rebuild commercial uranium enrichment capabilities, South Africa should leverage its historical PBMR experience to focus on advanced fuel manufacture and TRISO fuel production.

Industry recommendations suggest a national objective to manufacture and qualify advanced nuclear-grade TRISO fuel particles at Pelindaba. By establishing a Pelindaba Advanced Nuclear Fuel Centre, South Africa could serve as a trusted international manufacturing and qualification hub for the global SMR industry. This strategic pivot would allow the country to capitalize on its existing technical knowledge while addressing the global bottleneck in HALEU fuel fabrication.

Meanwhile, the United States has established a dedicated HALEU Availability Program, committing substantial public resources to HALEU enrichment, deconversion, transport, and fuel fabrication to address global supply constraints. South Africa's proposed focus on TRISO fabrication could complement these global efforts, positioning the nation as a key player in the future of advanced nuclear fuels without the massive capital expenditure required for commercial enrichment.

This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.