IAEA Concludes Long Term Operational Safety Review of South Africa’s SAFARI-1 Research Reactor

The SALTO-RR team visited the SAFARI-1 reactor. (Credit: South African Nuclear Energy Corporation)

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of nuclear safety experts on Friday completed a review of continued safe operation of the SAFARI-1 Research Reactor in Pelindaba, South Africa.

The Safety Review Mission on Ageing Management and Continued Safe Operation (SALTO-RR) mission was requested by the operator, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA). During the five-day mission, held from 2 to 6 February, the team reviewed the SAFARI-1 reactor's preparedness, organization and programmes, focusing on ageing management and continued safe operation.

SAFARI-1 is located on NECSA's Pelindaba site in Northwest Province. SAFARI-1 is a tank-in-pool reactor, cooled and moderated by light water with beryllium reflectors, and with a nominal operating power of 20 MW. The first criticality of the reactor was achieved on 18 March 1965. SAFARI-1 is currently used for commercial production of radioisotopes and provision of services for medical and industrial applications. The main product is molybdenum-99, whose decay product is technetium-99m. Technetium-99m radiopharmaceuticals are used in the diagnosis of cancer patients, cardiac patients and many other applications. The reactor is also used for neutron transmutation doping of silicon, neutron activation analysis, neutron radiography and neutron diffraction.

The mission, supported by IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation, was conducted by a six-person team consisting of experts from Australia, Ghana, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Pakistan, as well as two IAEA staff members. Representatives from South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator also participated in the mission as observers. The mission activities included a walkdown of the reactor facility, examination of safety and technical documentation, and discussions with SAFARI-1 counterparts.

The team identified the following good performances:

• Strong commitment and involvement of the reactor management and technical staff by conducting a self-assessment against SALTO-RR guidelines as part of mission preparation; and
• Effective engagement and communication between the operating organization and the regulatory body at an early stage for the ongoing periodic safety review.

"We appreciated the high quality of the discussions during the mission, and the openness of the SAFARI-1 counterparts is well noted," said Kaichao Sun, mission team leader and Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA. "Systematically implementing the ageing management activities can be challenging. Continuously improving the management system that integrates the existing operational programmes helps address this challenge."

The team provided a number of recommendations and suggestions to strengthen SAFARI-1's ageing management programme, including:

• Management of financial and human resources to achieve the organization's objectives of continued safe operation;
• Development of a systematic screening process to identify the structures, systems and components in the scope of the ageing management programme; and
• Establishment of formalized programmes to proactively address the obsolescence and qualification of equipment.

The mission team provided a draft report to the SAFARI-1 management and to NECSA, who subsequently expressed a determination to implement the mission findings. NECSA agreed to request a follow-up mission to review the status of the implementation in 2028.

"We recognize that our SAFARI-1 reactor, which is over 61 years, ages. Our responsibility to manage the ageing process becomes increasingly critical," said Sammy Malaka, Acting Group Executive for Nuclear Operations and SAFARI-1 Reactor Manager. "We view this SALTO mission as a collaborative opportunity to strengthen our safety culture, enhance our ageing management programme, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our research reactor operation and capabilities."

Background

Reviews of ageing management and continued safe operation of a research reactor are performed in accordance with a methodology developed based on the IAEA Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) peer review service for nuclear power plants and research reactors, and in accordance with the IAEA safety standards. These reviews complement IAEA Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) missions, which are designed as a comprehensive review of programmes and activities essential to safety.

Establishment and implementation of an effective ageing management programme for research reactors is to ensure their continued safe operation. As stated in the IAEA safety standards, maintaining the availability and reliability of research reactor facilities requires measures to prevent, detect and mitigate ageing effects on structures, systems and components. It also calls for refurbishment and modernization projects based on systematic ageing management reviews.

General information about SALTO missions can be found on the IAEA Website.