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| SNC-Lavalin to construct demonstration power plant SNC-Lavalin is pleased to announce that SNC-Lavalin Murray & Roberts Ltd, a joint venture company of SNC- Lavalin and Murray & Roberts has been awarded a contract by PBMR Ltd to execute Phase 1 for the engineering, procurement, and construction management of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Demonstration Power Plant at Koeberg in South Africa. The project will draw upon the experience and resources of SNC-Lavalin Nuclear Inc. The contract covers the first phase of an anticipated six-year program to build and launch a nuclear power plant, the pebble bed modular reactor, with a design output of 165MWe. The power plant will use advanced Generation IV technology and will supply electricity into South Africa's National Grid once in service. Pebble bed reactor technology uses fuel spheres of coated uranium dioxide encased in graphite, with helium as a coolant and energy transfer medium to a closed cycle gas turbine. The main advantage of the pebble bed technology is a passive shutdown safety design which prevents meltdown in case of overheating. Phase 1 activity begins immediately with the mobilisation of a team of Canadian and South African experts at the PBMR offices in Centurion, near Pretoria, South Africa. Phase 1 will be completed by mid 2006. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Construction News :: home page |