ABOUT US
South Africa was the first country in the world to design a
commercial SMR, over 25 years ago.
LEADERS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY
South Africa has been involved in nuclear development for 75 years.
Nuclear technology has been a factor in South African education and training for a couple of generations of scientists and engineers. The country is involved in a wide array of nuclear applications; such as nuclear medicine, where exports to over 60 countries take place daily; and also in the processing of export fruit and vegetables; and in many other nuclear activities.
South Africans are not new in the nuclear business.
After the pioneering PBMR program went into low gear, a group of nuclear engineers and scientists formed an independent nuclear development company to develop a variant of the PBMR, the HTMR-100. This led to the birth of Stratek Global (Pty) Ltd.
Stratek Global has brought together various engineering groups which each possess nuclear expertise, and has also added economists and financial analysts. We developed a powerful team. The team is not only expert in nuclear reactor development but also in the fabrication of the all-important TRISO fuel, which is a major Hi-Tech achievement in its own right.
Over the past couple of years, various of our Group have carried out development work for companies in the US and elsewhere. We have been proud to notice our developments being featured by them.
We maintain a close association with political developments in the nuclear field, as well as with the nuclear regulatory authorities. We keep our finger on the pulse of everything related to building nuclear power plants and their associated systems.
SA's NATIONAL NUCLEAR SYSTEM
Commemorative medallion issued on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Safari 1 nuclear reactor near Pretoria
South Africa was one of the first countries in the world to enter into the nuclear age. The national nuclear development Agency was initiated in 1948, only two years after the American Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
South Africa’s first nuclear reactor started operating in 1965 and the country’s first large nuclear power station, Koeberg, started operating in 1984.
South Africa currently possesses a large and sophisticated national nuclear system and establishment.
This total system is available as a base of support for the construction of an HTMR-100.
Information concerning nuclear testing or verification is easily accessible.
OUR SMR - 25 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Dr Kelvin Kemm with a medium-sized industrial fan built in a Group facility.
Our team has designed a first-to-market nuclear reactor that is set to drastically accelerate the time to grid connection. It is ready to build.
This is the product of over 25 years of research, development, and design, and is the result of collaboration between well-known and respected experts in the field. It is an advanced Generation IV gas-cooled reactor.
We have a team which is currently working daily on Generation IV nuclear development and our system is leading in the advancement of SMR technology as a clean and stable baseload electricity source.
HIGH TEMPERATURE MODULAR REACTOR (HTMR-100) - OUR ACHIEVEMENT
HTMR-100 Power Plant Model in simplest design. It can be designed to look anyway you choose.
The HTMR-100 routes its high temperature helium gas into a water heat exchanger. This in turn produces steam which drives the turbines.
The importance of this design feature is that the heat exchanger is well-used, conventional, technology which can be purchased off-the-shelf. The same is true for the rest of the power station. A total nuclear power station consists of a Turbine Hall; Workshops; Electrical Switchyard; Administration Offices; Gas Storage Tanks; and so on. All of this is part of conventional power generation technology and no new development was required on these components, dramatically reducing financial risk. Furthermore, the financial requirements to build those components within the system can be calculated with great accuracy.
Consequently, it was only the reactor itself, and its containment building, which needed to be fundamentally developed. This is the cylindrical structure in the plant diagram. Although design was required for the entire site it was not a case of developing new engineering assemblies, it was a case of designing with known building blocks of knowledge and available time-tested assemblies.
The plant design allows for any power station appearance to be designed by an architect, to allow for cultural requirements. The one presented here is a basic build designed to power a mining complex.
HTMR-100
THE NUCLEAR SOLUTION
Multiple energy applications for multiple clients
24/7 baseload electrical supply
Nuclear fuel security and constant pricing
No Large-scale cooling water needed for the reactor – can be used for dry inland sites
Basic reactor and fuel design developed
Shorter time frame to electrical production – first unit online five yrs
Team of skilled Engineers with SMR and nuclear fuel experience
Useful life-span of 40 years that can be extended
Intrinsic Safety of modular design
Ease of nuclear waste disposal stored on site
Power generation can be increased as needed, by adding additional SMR units
THE ENERGY REVOLUTION
With world energy prices rising steeply in many countries, and with energy supply and security becoming key issues, there seems to be little doubt that nuclear power demand is poised to grow rapidly.
This will occur not only in the established nuclear operating countries, but also in many other countries as well.
Because of the international variety of sites and geographic circumstances where power is needed, the application of SMRs is bound to grow rapidly. Of particular importance are the gas-cooled SMRs, which do not need to be near a large body of water.
SMRs are reasonably simple to construct and operate.
As a result, the deployment of an SMR will bring significant advantages to many communities. Not only will it supply much-needed electricity and heat for industry and residential use, but it will also hugely benefit the local population directly.
An SMR will provide jobs during construction but also after construction with regards to operations and maintenance. Many of the required people can be drawn from the surrounding population, bringing long-term benefits to the area. Furthermore, for some of the more skilled positions, people from the area can be trained, increasing the general level of skill in the neighborhood.
Also bearing in mind that an SMR will serve the immediate area, with no need for exceedingly long transmission lines, extra industrial operations would be encouraged to develop in the area, thereby benefiting an area which could be far away from a larger town or city.
SMRs are here to stay. They will become a major factor in world energy. They will change the faces of many countries.
UNIQUE FUEL SYSTEM-WORLD LEADING
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The HTMR-100 is an advanced Generation IV gas-cooled reactor. A number of SMR designs currently on offer by other countries are Generation III, which require a large body of water for cooling.
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It is compact and the power station will fit on a football field.
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The reactor cannot suffer a core meltdown. It is ‘walk away’ safe.
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It has been designed with sufficient nuclear spent fuel storage capacity, such that spent fuel balls can be securely stored on site for 40 years. This is to give any legislative authority time to make decisions as to what they wish to do with the spent fuel.
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The TRISO Pebble fuel is very robust and can be thrown on a concrete floor with no effect. It can therefore be easily transported over long distances and over rough roads. Each individual grain of Uranium fuel has its own containment enclosure within the matrix of the Fuel Ball. So even if a Fuel Ball were to split open it does not matter.
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It is cooled with Helium gas which cannot become radioactive and is totally safe should it escape.
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All of the plant from the water heat exchanger (or steam generator) ‘downwards’ is purchased off- the-shelf, easily available from various suppliers, and is time tested.
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South Africa has produced the TRISO fuel. So fuel supply is adequately available.
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South Africa can supply all training required.
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South Africa has an advanced National Nuclear Regulator that has expressed commitment to work with any country in terms of legislation and nuclear procedures.
PROBLEMS SOLVED
The HTMR-100 Nuclear Power Unit has the following Advantages:
Production Lifespan of at least 40 and up to 60 Years.
Can provide energy on a 24 hour, 7 days per week, and 365 days per annum basis.
Ease of Nuclear Fuel loading and disposal of spent fuel.
No need for high volumes of water for cooling purposes.
A Footprint of no more than a standard Football Pitch is required.
Can be placed at a location requiring energy without the requirement of long distance power distribution network lines.
High Safety Factor, ease of operation and possible central remote control of multiple units.
Brings prosperity to local population by providing energy provision and infrastructure spend.
Increased local technical skills.
Local industrial development.
Job Creation.
Increased Tax Base.