The Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) is planning to convert its research reactor to use low-enriched uranium (LEU) over the next three years.
The South African Fundamental Atomic Research Institution 1 (SAFARI 1), located at Pelindaba, was commissioned in the 1960s as a materials test reactor and is now mainly used for the production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine applications.
There is an increased effort to phase out the use of high-enriched uranium in research reactors globally, in line with international standards on non-proliferation.
