Talks in progress between PBMR Pty LTD and potential investors

ByRod Adams

BusinessDay – an online publication from South Africa – published a story by Linda Ensor on 9 November 2005 titled Talks under way with potential investors for nuclear project. The article describes the ongoing efforts by PBMR Pty LTD to bring on additional investors in their Pebble Bed Modular Reactor project and its associated fuel manufacturing facilities.

According to the article, there are at least two large investors currently talking with the company, and an announcement should be made early in 2006 about any deals that may be struck.

Though this project has achieved a great deal of international recognition as a ground breaking concept, it has some hurdles to overcome that more “conventional” light water reactors do not face. One of the major ones is that a new fuel manufacturing plant must be constructed in order to supply the first few units. This adds a bit of risk to the project when compared to the evolutionary designs that can use fuel from existing, currently underutilized manufacturing facilities.

When viewed with a slightly longer time horizon, however, the PBMR project has some advantages that cannot be matched by light water technology.

Atomic Insights Blog will continue to follow this fascinating technology and continue to root for its successful introduction.

Rod Adams
Rod Adams

Rod Adams is Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital, a venture fund that invests in advanced nuclear, which provides affordable access to this clean energy sector to pronuclear and impact investors. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. He has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology, regulation, and policies for several decades through Atomic Insights, both as its primary blogger and as host of The Atomic Show Podcast. Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. To join Rod's pronuclear network and receive his occasional newsletter, click here.

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