The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation SOC Ltd (Necsa) has attracted international and local interest in its planned Small Modular Reactor (SMR) demonstration project, following a compulsory briefing session held for prospective suppliers.
The session formed part of Necsa’s recently issued Expression of Interest (EOI), which was released at the end of March and closes on 29 May 2026.
A total of 54 potential partners attended the briefing, representing 12 countries, including South Africa.
Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe said the meeting provided an important opportunity to clarify technical, commercial and strategic aspects of the corporation’s SMR programme.
“The briefing session held with the interested suppliers [on Thursday] provided a platform to clarify technical, commercial and strategic aspects of Necsa’s SMR programme,” he said.
Tyabashe added that it was encouraging to see strong interest from nuclear designers and institutions involved in advancing nuclear technology.
Following the closing date for submissions on 29 May 2026, Necsa will evaluate the responses and move to the next stage of the process, which will involve issuing a request for proposals to shortlisted organisations.
Necsa Board Chairperson David Nicholls said the organisation was committed to ensuring the SMR programme includes local industry participants.
“It was important to see a number of South African organisations in the briefing session [on Thursday],” he said.
Nicholls said Necsa remains committed to a transparent and competitive process aligned with South Africa’s energy policies, while seeking to combine local and global expertise through strategic partnerships. – SAnews.gov.za
