Nuclear energy rethink? The rise and demise of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor

This research paper by Dr David Fig examines the failure of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project and critiques the government's continued commitment to nuclear power despite issues with governance and public policy.

• The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project in South Africa faced a significant funding crisis in 2010 when the government announced it would stop providing substantial state funds, leading to the dismissal of 75% of the project's staff.
• The PBMR project spent approximately nine billion rands of state funds without achieving its plans or securing significant external investment or clients.
• Despite the apparent abandonment of the PBMR, the South African government continues to signal a commitment to adding substantial nuclear power to its energy mix, an effort the author suggests is occurring without addressing democratic governance, public policy making, or the influence of lobby groups.

APA

Fig, D. (n.d.). Nuclear energy rethink? The rise and demise of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/nuclear-energy-rethink-the-rise-and-demise-of-south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor

Chicago

Fig, David. Nuclear energy rethink? The rise and demise of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/nuclear-energy-rethink-the-rise-and-demise-of-south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fig |first1=David |title=Nuclear energy rethink? The rise and demise of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/papers/nuclear-energy-rethink-the-rise-and-demise-of-south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{figndnuclear, author = {Fig, David}, title = {{Nuclear energy rethink? The rise and demise of South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/papers/nuclear-energy-rethink-the-rise-and-demise-of-south-africas-pebble-bed-modular-reactor}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }