How much does Dr. Kelvin cost?
World electricity demand has doubled over the past 25 years. All indications are that this number will double again over the next 25 years. In fact, the time span may be much shorter. The emergence of power-intensive technologies such as data centers has led to a sharp rise in power demand. Then one must add the growing needs of developing countries among them. Instead of cooking outdoors over open fires, people bought electric stoves and refrigerators.
Electricity demand is like a boulder rolling down a mountain, it won't stop or slow down. In fact, it's rolling faster and faster.
There is no doubt that fossil fuels will continue to be the backbone of the world's electricity generation for decades to come. But it is also certain that nuclear power is growing rapidly around the world. This means not only the traditional industrialized powers, but also less developed or much smaller countries. The rapid development of small modular reactor technology has also accelerated the options for large-scale adoption of nuclear power. South Africa was the first country in the world to begin developing commercial small-scale modular reactors, and this work has continued for more than 30 years.
A few years ago, South Africa announced its intention to add an additional 2,500 megawatts of new nuclear power to its existing nuclear base. At the beginning of 2024, the Minister of Energy confirmed the accelerated realization of this goal. From the outset, the intention was to build a new 2400 MW coastal nuclear power plant, while also dedicating 100 MW to the development of SMRs for inland use. In September 2024, the Energy Minister gave a public speech stating that we must move forward on the basis of science and facts rather than “fighting in the morass” with activists who rely more on emotion than reality.
South Africa is pushing for new nuclear construction. This is good news. Current plans are to add 2,500 MW of nuclear power, including a new large 2,400 MW nuclear plant off the coast, and 100 MW dedicated to small modular reactor (SMR) development.
The announcement to go ahead with the project was greeted with enthusiasm by many, but the anti-nuclear lobby, as always, screamed at every conceivable issue related to nuclear power.
But let’s digress for a moment and consider the macro implications of this measure.
Building a large nuclear power plant is essentially going the traditional route: placing a large plant in an ideal location along the coastline. The generated electricity is then transmitted to consumers over a certain distance.
But what about SMRs? Air-cooled SMR does not require large amounts of water for cooling, and the key difference is that you can take the reactor into the hands of consumers. You can place the principal anywhere you like. This reality makes it acceptable for planners. Take the path to high flexibility. Nationwide nuclear solutions.
Think about it!
Now let's compare with the mobile phone system. Before the advent of mobile phones, the telephone network consisted of major switches interconnected by remote connections. Then the phone arrived. These cells are like a honeycomb of cells, each with its own main base station antenna. Each unit handles calls within the unit.
Small Modular Reactor (SMR) systems have emerged in the modern scenario, essentially making nuclear battery systems a reality. Now, one can place an air-cooled SMR anywhere and it can serve its own “unit.” This “unit” can be a mining complex, a municipality, a group of factories or an agricultural area containing farms for processing, packaging and transportation. Such “communities” don't even need to be connected to the national grid, and can be owned by provinces, municipalities or private companies.
The SMR revolution actually means that the basic planning options for electricity distribution have changed significantly.
Air-cooled SMRs such as the South African HTMR-100 can operate safely. The fuel will not melt under any circumstances. Such an SMR emits absolutely nothing during normal operation, no solids, liquids or gases. The fuel comes in the form of balls, the size of tennis balls, and each ball lasts two to three years in the reactor. Therefore, the required refueling volume is very small compared to coal, gas or oil plants. There is therefore no need for continuous refueling structures such as conveyor belts, pipelines or railway lines.
What this all means is that small nuclear power plants can be placed safely and efficiently in industrial or agricultural areas, or near idyllic small towns. One of the charges of the extremist anti-nuclear lobby has been that nuclear reactors are ugly industrial structures that blight beautiful coastlines
With modern SMRs, we can eliminate this accusation entirely. Since it is a bomb, there is nothing wrong with it during operation. what else? Complete silence. It can be integrated into any Vista setup. With this in mind, the developers of the HTMR-100 series of reactors contacted Johann Koch of Johann Koch Design Architects (JKDA) with a proposal to jointly develop SMRe complexes for a range of clients.
Stratek Global originally developed the HTMR-100 for typical industrial environments in South Africa, such as gold mining complexes located far inland and away from large bodies of water. However, Stratek Global has been approached by potential clients from around the world, including the Middle East, Australia, some African countries and island nations.
Additionally, site factors such as elevation vary from sea level to high altitude. Predominant weather conditions vary from hot and dry to cold and wet, including snow.
Stratek Global is therefore able to deliver any type of nuclear power complex that is not only designed to suit any site, but can also be cleverly designed to match the people and the landscape or cultural nature of the area.
Since nuclear power is completely clean and green, emitting no gases, liquids or anything else during normal operation, there is no reason to think of nuclear power plants as ugly industrial buildings. They can be as attractive as a hotel complex or resort.
Presented here are four designs developed based on customer requirements. They are named; Impala Design, Kudu Design, Oryx Design and Sable Design.
The Kudu design was developed for the African savannah environment. Shown here is a single reactor with a thermal output of 100 MW, or an electrical output of 35 MW.
Kudu design: suitable for temperate environments near towns or agricultural clusters
One of the most useful aspects. The HTMR-100 is an SMR complex that can be designed to accommodate up to 10 reactors. All ten can be operated from a single control room. Obviously, building more reactors per site reduces unit costs because you don't have to duplicate administrative buildings, workshops, or various other facilities. Furthermore, if a site is designed to accommodate ten reactors, they do not have to be built at the same time. Owners can add reactors in later years as demand increases or funding becomes available, allowing for tremendous planning flexibility.
Oryx Design was developed in response to requests from the Middle East region. It also has a single reactor but can be easily adapted to more reactors.
Oryx Design: Single reactor designed for desert areas
Computer graphics showing the internal layout of the reactor building. Approximately 60% of the reactor is underground. The floor is located at the base of the ventilation chimney.
The single-reactor Impala Design is a workhorse design for industrial environments such as the South African gold mining complex. The design is designed to fit into any existing industrial park. It shows that, apart from the actual nuclear reactor itself, inside a cylindrical concrete containment vessel, the rest of the plant consists of perfectly normal industrial buildings.
Impala Design: Basic single reactor design for existing industrial environments
The Sable design was developed in response to requests from a country experiencing snow conditions. The request was for the construction of a ten-reactor complex. Reactors can be added over a period of several years as the customer sees fit.
Mink Design: Showcases eight reactors, located in the snow
Dr. Kelvin Kemm is a nuclear physicist and former Chairman of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa). He currently serves as Chairman of Stratek Global, a nuclear project management company based in Pretoria, South Africa. The firm performs strategy development and project planning in a variety of areas for various clients. They are working to build an HTMR-100 nuclear reactor in Pretoria. kelvin.kemm@stratekglobal.com.
www.stratekglobal.com
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