2006 International RERTR Meeting

Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the Meeting

FUEL MANUFACTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA: THE ROAD TO CONVERSION

Jamie, RW
MTR Fuel Group South African Nuclear Energy Corporation
PO Box 582, Pretoria, 0001 - Republic of South Africa
e-mail: [email protected]

Kocher, A (Mrs)
AREVA CERCA
Compagnie pour l'Etude et la Réalisation de Combustibles Atomiques,
TOUR AREVA, 1 Place de la Coupole, 92400 Courbevoie, France,
e-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

THE SOUTH AFRICAN RESEARCH REACTOR FUEL MANUFACTURING FACILITY (MTR FUEL) WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE 1970'S TO SUPPLY SAFARI-1 WITH FUEL AND CONTROL RODS. LOCAL CAPABILITY WAS DEVELOPED IN PARALLEL WITH THE SA URANIUM ENRICHMENT PROGRAM TO MEET THE VARYING NEEDS OF THE REACTOR. IN JULY 2005 THE SOUTH AFRICAN DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL AND ENERGY AUTHORISED THE TRANSITION OF SAFARI-1 FROM HEU FUEL TO LEU SILICIDE FUEL, WHICH INCLUDES THE CONVERSION OF THE MTR FUEL FACILITY.

PAST EXPERIENCES AND THE STATUS OF THE MTR FUEL FACILITY ARE DISCUSSED. FUTURE PLANS FOR THE LOCAL MANUFACTURE OF LEU FUEL AND PLANNED COOPERATION WITH AREVA CERCA, THE FRENCH MANUFACTURER OF RESEARCH REACTOR FUEL ELEMENTS, IS EXPLAINED AND ELABORATED ON.

 

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