A nuclear power station is planned on the Zilkaatsnek Estate in De Wildt near Hartbeespoort. The property is located in the buffer zone of the Magaliesberg Biosphere and within the Peglerae Conservancy.
The nuclear technology company Stratek Global has secured the 2 000-hectare Zilkaats Estate property on the R513 in De Wildt on which it plans to build a small modular reactor (SMR). “The directors of Zilkaats Estate have offered a large tract of land to Stratek Global to build a small modular nuclear reactor. Stratek Global has accepted the offer,” the company said in a media release.
Stratek said the site already had the necessary roads and services, as well as a residential section, a light industrial area, and an airfield. The total estate represents a R5.7 billion investment.
According to Stratek Global chairman, Dr Kelvin Kemm, the proposed Small Modular Reactor (SMR) will deliver 100 MW of heat and 35 MW of clean, reliable electricity. “A reactor site can be expanded to accommodate up to ten reactors, giving 350 MW of green electricity. It uses a safe helium gas-cooled technology system, thereby eliminating the need for a large water body for cooling. This innovative design enables totally flexible siting. It means that you can place a reactor anywhere you like. Zilkaats Estate, which is strategically located near the Necsa Facility at Pelindaba, offers an ideal location for this compact reactor. An entire reactor layout occupies an area of less than a football field.”
Allan Culverwell, CEO of Zilkaats, said that they were also interested in hosting a mass production facility to build reactors for export, plus a future nuclear fuel plant. “Not only do we need this electricity to develop the Zilkaats site to its full potential, but we also recognise the financial potential of getting into this exciting development,” Zilkaats Estate chairman Gabriel Mokgoko said.
“The HTMR-100 is a high-temperature, helium-cooled SMR derived from the earlier pebble-bed modular reactor programme. It produces 100 MW of thermal energy and 35 MW of electrical output with a compact footprint designed to enable siting in locations without large water resources. The design is suited to electricity generation, industrial heat applications, desalination and hydrogen production,” Kemm said.
The company said planning was still in the beginning stages, but that site development could begin within two years, pending regulatory approvals and the finalisation of financial investment. Operations director, Francois Mellet, told Kormorant that processes such as an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and public participation will follow in due course.
Residents and stakeholders have raised serious concerns since the announcement about the proposed nuclear reactor in an agricultural and conservation area, its close proximity to an open-cast mine with frequent explosions, as well as the dwindling groundwater resources in the area.
Zilkaats Estate is also home to a preserve cemetery.