Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk turned down an appeal against the proposed pilot fuel plant (PFP) for an advanced nuclear reactor at Pelindaba, near Pretoria, his ministry said on Friday.

The plant is scheduled to supply the Pebble-Bed Modular Rector (PBMR) demonstration power plant at Koeberg, according to reports.

The appeal centred on a Record of Decision (ROD), issued in 2003 that had been linked to a second ROD issued on the same day, referring to the PBMR.

Among the applicants in the appeal were Earthlife Africa and the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA.

Van Schalkwyk said that although the ROD involving the PBMR had been set aside on review by the Cape High Court in 2005, the ROD involving the PFP should be viewed separately.

"According to the advice received from senior counsel, the ROD issued to the Nuclear Energy Corporation of SA for the PFP project was not affected by the setting aside of the ROD issued in respect of the PBMR," Van Schalkwyk said.

Both RODs had contained clauses that made the implementation of the one subject to the approval of the other.

Van Schalkwyk also said he believed that the department misdirected itself in several respects in relation to these two RODs.

"I am of the view that the two RODs related to separate and distinct projects and should have been treated as such from the outset."

The PFP entails the establishment of a fuel manufacturing plant at Pelindaba and includes the storage, handling and processing facilities for the raw materials and fuels, read an Environmental Affairs and Tourism statement.

Also within the ambit of the decision was the transport of raw material from Durban to Pelindaba and the transport of manufactured fuel from Pelindaba to Koeberg in the Western Cape.

SOURCE: iafrica.com

Topics: NPP, Africa, South Korea