Siseko Njobeni
11 November 2008
Johannesburg — THE Nuclear Energy Corporation of SA (Necsa), the government body responsible for nuclear research and development, plans to increase sales of products and services at least 20% this financial year, says CEO Rob Adam.
While research and development in nuclear energy, radiation sciences and technology is Necsa's key mandate, the entity has increasingly made money from the sale of commercial goods and services, and the trend is set to continue.
Commenting on Necsa's 2008 annual report, Adam last week said that in 2007- 08 Necsa had increased the contribution of commercial goods and services 18% from the previous financial year to R544m. The group planned to increase such sales at least 20% in 2008-09.
Wholly owned subsidiaries NTP Radioisotopes and Pelchem drove the sales.
NTP , which produces a range of radiation-based products, increased sales 25,5% to R313,2m, and Pelchem, the recently corporatised chemicals business, increased sales 35% to R121,9m.
Pelchem manufactures and markets hydrogen fluoride, hydrofluoric acid, fluoride salts and fluorine gas. Its products are used in the petroleum, pharmaceutical, glass, electricity, metallurgical, mining, electronics, construction and detergent industries.
Adam said prefeasibility studies, completed in March this year, had shown SA had a viable nuclear fuel cycle to support Eskom's nuclear build programme that would increase SA's nuclear capacity to 20000MW. A nuclear cycle is the series of industrial processes involving the production of electricity from uranium in nuclear power reactors.
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