The Public Services Accountability Monitor has said that the socio-economic impact assessment (SEIA) carried out on the proposed pebble bed nuclear reactor project did not give the public the information it required to participate meaningfully in any decisions. 

It stated that the key assessment document was fatally flawed and that a decision on whether to go ahead with a PBMR demonstration project involved choices on the use of substantial public resources.

The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Limited (PBMR) website now indicated that the reactor was “designated DPP200”, suggesting that the project had become a 200 megawatt design while the SEIA was based on a proposal for a 400 megawatt demonstration unit.

 It was clear that the PBMR was currently redesigning the demonstration model. 

Jaco Kriek, chief executive of PBMR was quoted to say that “we want to complete it (the design) by about two years from now.”

Public Service Accountability Monitor said “It is not possible or plausible to assess the socio-economic impact of a (reactor) whose size and design is uncertain or unknown.”

“Since both the size and design of the proposed (reactor) now differ from those in which the SEIA was based, it follows that the assessment of the socio-economic impact contained in the current SEIA must be revised.”

“Accountable governance requires justification for the use of public funding, and this is turn requires consideration of opportunity costs.” said PSAM