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SAFARI-1: FIFTY YEARS OF WORLD FIRSTS

South Africa’s SAFARI-1 research reactor is operational for about 300 days a year and is one of the most highly commercially utilised reactors in the world today.

SAFARI-1 (South Africa Fundamental Atomic Research Installation) is a 20MW tank-in-pool high flux research reactor located at Pelindaba in South Africa’s North West province.

SAFARI-1 is one of the highest power operational nuclear reactors on the African continent, and has been in use since first achieving criticality in March 1965. Because of political boycotts and international restrictions on the supply of fuel, between 1977 and the early 1990s SAFARI-1 ran at an adjusted operational level of 5MW, for limited hours during the year. This extended period of reduced activity ultimately allowed the lifespan of the reactor to be greatly extended after South Africa was readmitted into global nuclear structures and trade subsequent to the country’s signing of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1991.

South Africa is the only country in the world to have voluntarily dismantled its nuclear weapons, and its nuclear weapons programme.

After the end of apartheid and the introduction of a constitutional democracy in South Africa, SAFARI-1 was under pressure to justify its costly infrastructure and operational costs, and was threatened with closure. The reactor was saved through the efforts of the scientists and engineers who had developed and run the facility for many years, and who believed that peaceful applications of nuclear technology would make an important, even essential, contribution to a democratic South Africa.

SAFARI-1 is now one of the most highly commercially utilised research reactors in the world today, and produces about a quarter of the global demand of key medical radioisotopes molybdenum-99, together with other radioisotopes such as iodine-131 and lutetium-177. Many of these batches of life-saving radiochemicals were produced using the very same enriched uranium once contained in apartheid South Africa’s nuclear armaments.

Since 2009, SAFARI-1’s reactor core has been fuelled entirely by LEU (low-enriched uranium) – the first commercial reactor in the world to successfully make the conversion. As of December 2015, more than three-quarter of target plates used in the production of medical radioisotopes have also been made with LEU targets, making SAFARI-1 and NTP pioneers in the commercial production of all-LEU radioisotopes.

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The Independent Nuclear News Agency

South africa / necsa launches tender to replace ageing safari-1 research reactor.

By David Dalton 10 February 2022

Necsa subsidiary NTP Radioisotopes uses the facility to produce medical radioisotopes. It is one of the four leading producers of radioisotopes in the world.

According to Necsa, the radioisotopes are used in millions of diagnostic tests annually for cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. The reactor also provides support for scientific research, development and innovation in medicine, agriculture, palaeontology and bioscience.

The plant is currently in care and maintenance, Necsa said, as it released a request for information (RFI) to the market – the first step in a tender process to help gauge appetite from a potential preferred supplier to construct a new multi-purpose reactor (MPR).

“The MPR will continue with the legacy of producing medical radioisotopes, which are used to treat thousands of patients diagnosed with cancer all over the world,” Loyiso Tyabashe, Necsa’s group chief executive said in a statement.

NTP says it is a top four global supplier of medical radioisotopes to the US, Japan and countries in Europe and the Middle East, Necsa said.

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has just wrapped up a mission review of the research reactor SAFARI-1, situated at Pelindaba, near the Hartbeespoort Dam . It investigated what needs to be done to create a multipurpose reactor project.

Managed by the Nuclear Energy Corporation SA (NECSA), the South Africa Fundamental Atomic Research Installation (SAFARI) is a research site comprising a 20MW tank-in-pool high flux research reactor.

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One of the world’s most highly commercially utilised reactors, SAFARI used to produce about a quarter of the global demand for key medical radioisotopes molybdenum-99, together with other radioisotopes such as iodine-131 and lutetium-177. Since 2009, SAFARI-1’s reactor core has been fuelled entirely by LEU (low-enriched uranium). It is the first commercial reactor in the world to successfully make that conversion. 

This week’s IAEA review aims to advise where improvements can be made to enhance or expand the NECSA facilities for their upcoming multipurpose reactor (MPR). NECSA released a Request for Information for the Multipurpose Research project in February 2022 to replace SAFARI-1.

Multipurpose Reactor plans continue at a steady pace

Speaking at a press briefing, NECSA’s Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe said nuclear reactors for both isotope research and power generation have improved in design, performance and safety features over time. “We aim to build on top of what we know in South Africa for our new facility,” said Tyabashe.

SAFARI-1 is currently operational for around 300 days of the year.

“We are looking for better performance for our upcoming reactors, and our specifications have to be on point,” explained Tyabashe. He was talking about the plans for the MPR project they will develop based on the IAEA recommendations.

The RFI released last year was about testing the market on cost, financing models and related parameters. This was to create input into a feasibility study, which is currently before Cabinet for consideration.

SAFARI-1 is scheduled for decommissioning in 2030. A new multipurpose reactor, built in a reasonable timeline, will continue South Africa’s work into isotope R&D.

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IAEA impressed

IAEA’s mission lead, Nuno Pessoa Barradas, called the mission a “peer review rather than audit”. “It was a good week,” said Barradas.

He lauded all parties involved as highly prepared for the meeting: “We are dealing with highly competent people. The staff of NECSA display excellent expertise.

“The thing is, experts coming from facilities from around the world do not see a new build in South Africa as a competitor. In the top facilities, they are over-subscribed and it is difficult to find beamtime.

“So, the competition is to have access to existing instruments. The community worldwide welcomes a new facility that could join the elite top facilities in the world,” said Barradas.

Skills development

One of the aspects the IAEA mission would be making recommendations on is the need to enhance skills development in-country.

The DMRE annual performance plan 2022-2023 suggests they believe the MPR project to have significant socio-economic and environmental benefits. They believe a substantial portion of products will be sourced locally during construction, thus boosting local and national economy.

“There will be some 5,000 direct and 26,000 indirect jobs created during construction. The MPR will provide employment to about 750 full-time employees and an additional 3,800 indirect jobs for its operation and fulfilment of its research mandate at the Neutron Beam Lines Centre (NBLC),” reads the report.

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Tyabashe told ESI Africa that while no South African university has a dedicated nuclear engineering degree, he reminds students that the nuclear field also needs skilled lawyers, engineers and technicians. “We need more nuclear physicists, scientists and analytical chemists; that is what our research needs,” said the NECSA group CEO.

While unable to discuss the actual recommendations, Barradas pointed out that it was up to NECSA to make any information available. Tyabashe responded that they would, in due course, make relevant parts of the IAEA recommendations available to the public, as per their mandate, which includes a transparent approach to nuclear procurement. ESI

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