http://seekerblog.com/2009/03/07/south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor-pbmr-to-run-out-of-cash-in-2010/ Seeking reliable, objective sources on economics and energy-policy issues Sat, 26 May 2012 07:02:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://seekerblog.com/2009/03/07/south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor-pbmr-to-run-out-of-cash-in-2010/#comment-1039 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:17:04 +0000 http://seekerblog.com/archives/20090307/south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor-pbmr-to-run-out-of-cash-in-2010/#comment-1039 Koster’s reply, as advertised above, is either a masterly example of misrepresentation or a display of complete misunderstanding of the English language. Koster, of course, is a PBMR consultant. I always keep in mind a saying by my old Scottish granny – “It is very well spoken of in the adverts”.

]]> http://seekerblog.com/2009/03/07/south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor-pbmr-to-run-out-of-cash-in-2010/#comment-1038 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:22:11 +0000 http://seekerblog.com/archives/20090307/south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor-pbmr-to-run-out-of-cash-in-2010/#comment-1038 For a balanced view on Dr Moormann comment above please see the following response.
http://www.pbmr.co.za/index.asp?Content=217&Article=108&Year=2009

]]> http://seekerblog.com/2009/03/07/south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor-pbmr-to-run-out-of-cash-in-2010/#comment-1037 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:56:54 +0000 http://seekerblog.com/archives/20090307/south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor-pbmr-to-run-out-of-cash-in-2010/#comment-1037 It is not only the global economic meltdown, which creates trouble to the PBMR, but mainly the lack of maturity of the pebble bed concept. Looking more in detail of the experience of both German pebble bed reactors AVR and THTR a lot of showstoppers become visible: The present fuel element is not suitable for long term high temperature application, and the pebble bed mechanics is not understood (hot spots in the core). As a result the AVR became the most heavily beta-contaminated nuclear installation worldwide and cannot be dismanteled for the next decades, and the THTR had to be taken out of operation after only 1.2 years of full power operation.

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