• NECSA plans new 20–30 MW research reactor, tender expected in 2026

• Facility will focus on medical isotopes, not power generation

• Project aims to maintain South Africa’s global position in Mo-99 supply

South Africa is preparing to build a new nuclear research reactor as part of efforts to strengthen its position in the global medical isotope market. The plan was outlined by Loyiso Tyabashe, chief executive of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA), in an interview with Reuters reported on March 24.

The project is expected to go out to tender between April and June 2026. According to NECSA, the planned reactor will have a capacity of between 20 and 30 megawatts and is scheduled to come online between 2032 and 2033. The cost of the project has not yet been disclosed.

The facility will be designed as a multipurpose research reactor and will not be used for electricity generation. Its primary role will be the production of medical isotopes, including molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), which is widely used in the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regularly ranks South Africa among the world’s leading producers of Mo-99, largely due to the Safari-1 reactor. Commissioned in 1965 and located in Pelindaba, in the North West province, Safari-1 remains a key asset in the country’s isotope production capacity.

“We want our operations to run in parallel, so we can solidify our position in the market for isotopes and avoid creating a gap, because customers will leave once they're gone,” Tyabashe said. NECSA is considering a turnkey or engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract, under which a single contractor would handle the design and delivery of the project.

The approach is intended to better manage costs and timelines. Potential bidders are expected from countries including Russia, China, South Korea, the United States, and Argentina.

The project forms part of a broader effort to revive the nuclear sector in South Africa, which also includes plans to develop small modular reactors (SMRs). Several African countries, including Rwanda and Egypt, have shown interest in this technology. South Africa remains the only country on the continent with an operational commercial nuclear power plant.

Abdel-Latif Boureima