Experts talk nuclear reactors

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Over 100 delegates from 18 countries and representing 52 organisations have gathered in the Kruger National Park to hold a conference on high precision analysis techniques which can be used in the fabrication of components for nuclear reactors.

South Africa is currently hosting the 9th International Conference on Mechanical Stress Evaluation by Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation (MECA SENS), the first to be hosted on the African continent.

Opening the two-day conference on Tuesday, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) Chairman Dr Kelvin Kemm said that in order for South Africa to be able to design, fabricate and export nuclear reactor components, it is necessary to be in control of the entire technology value chain from the fundamental mathematics to the factory fabrication.

“It is gratifying to see so many recognised world experts gathered together here in South Africa to examine, on an atomic level, such important technology as how minuet cracks move through metallic structures,” he said.

The conference, which Necsa is hosting in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will conclude on Thursday after which some of the delegates will visit the Necsa site near Pretoria.

Necsa, which is one of the state owned entities falling within the ambit of the Department of Energy, is mandated to undertake and promote research and development (R & D) in the field of nuclear energy and radiation sciences and technology and subject to the Safeguards Agreement, to make these generally available. – SAnews.gov.za