SGL Carbon Chosen as Strategic Graphite Supplier for South African Nuclear Project

The South African nuclear energy technology company “Pebble Bed Modular Reactor“ PBMR (Pty) Ltd. announced today its cooperation with SGL Carbon as a supplier of graphite. A conference will be held this week in Pretoria with focus on the current status of the development of the pebble bed modular reactor technology. PBMR is owned by a consortium comprising the largest South African energy supplier, Eskom, as well as the state-owned development finance institution Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC), and British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). PBMR has the ambition to construct commercially operating pebble bed modular reactors for electric power generation in South Africa beginning in 2013.

As an alternative to non-renewable fossil fuel resources, PBMR technology is to be utilized in the near future as a low-cost, CO₂-free form of energy production. PBMR selected SGL Carbon as a strategic supplier because of the latter’s expertise in the production and development of graphite in the highest quality. The two companies have been working together for a number of years on the development of materials for use in PBMR technology. The planned construction of a demonstration reactor in South Africa beginning in 2007 could translate into sales of € 35 to € 40 million during the period 2006 to 2008 for the Specialties Business Unit of SGL Carbon.