COMPANY PROFILE
2013
NECSA
Is nuclear now a necessity?
CompANY PROFILE
Is nuclear now a necessity? Editorial: Christian Jordan Production: Leslie Kemp
What do you think when you hear the words ‘nuclear’, ‘radiation’ or ‘contamination’? Many people are worried or even scared and perhaps rightly so, but Dr Kelvin Kemm, one of South Africa’s foremost nuclear experts and advisor to Necsa management says that nuclear power is safe and should be considered the future of power generation in Africa.
The discussion surrounding the country’s power requirements is a continuously evolving one and one that allows for much debate but with various decisions being taken all the time that hope to shape the future of power in South Africa, is now the time to look at a long term solution to the electricity shortages; should we be looking at power sources that are going to be feasible in coming century’s and not just coming decades? Well, simply put, yes is the answer. Coal and oil fired power stations are effective and have served not just South Africa but the world for many years but they have their drawbacks, one of which is the fact that they will not be able to run forever so what are the other options? Renewables (wind, solar, hydro)? So far they have proven themselves to be a fair contributor to the energy mix but they are by no means a source to be relied on. Steam and gas? Again, have proven
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to be viable options as contributors but are in the relatively early stages of development and are unlikely to constitute the sole supply of a country’s electricity. And then there are the many experimental power sources that are still in testing and development phases, perhaps one day these will catch on and go commercial but for now they remain just experiments. So what options does that leave? The one that is tried and tested, one that has proven itself capable of providing enough power to generate huge amounts of electricity and one that, when handled correctly, is extremely safe and that one is nuclear. As we discussed last month, South Africa is a world leader in the nuclear industry, producing nuclear medicine for export to over 60 countries from one of the world’s leading research reactors (SAFARI-1) and boasting one of the world’s safest nuclear power stations, the world’s most southerly nuclear power station, Koeberg.
SOUTH AFRICAN NUCLEAR ENERGY CORPORATION (NECSA)
The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) is one of the driving forces behind the nuclear industry and is tasked with undertaking and promoting research and development in the field of nuclear energy and radiation sciences. It is also responsible for processing source material, including uranium enrichment, and co-operating with other institutions, locally and abroad, on nuclear and related matters. Last month we spoke to Necsa CEO, Phumzile Tshelane, and he told us that the organisation is preparing to roll out more nuclear power stations across the country as the government look to increase the contribution of nuclear power to the grid. This month, we speak to one of Tshelane’s advisors and CEO of Nuclear Africa, Dr Kelvin Kemm, and he tells us that although the development of the nuclear power industry is imminent, people are still nervous about nuclear.
“Radiation, contamination and words like this are just not understood by the public and worse than this, because there is a mystery surrounding the terminology, people get very easily scared. “Obviously, the announcement of nuclear to the world in 1945 was two nuclear bombs dropping on Japan so the start was very scary and people are automatically spooked by words like radiation. “There is no danger from radiation if handled correctly. It’s like the military handling ammunition. If any army truck is going down the road handling artillery shells, in principle it’s very dangerous if you don’t have professionals who know what they’re doing. With people who know what they’re doing it’s pretty safe. “It’s the same with nuclear. There’s no reason for people to get panicky about nuclear as long as it’s professionally continues on page 38...
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“Actively enhancing life”
NTP Radioisotopes has placed South Africa on the map as one of the world’s foremost nations when it comes to the production of nuclear medicine. So, you may ask is medication containing nuclear radiation anything to be afraid of.
The words ‘nuclear’ and ‘radiation’ often precede the onset of fear in many. These words are often associated with explosions and disasters, but this public perception is an association which the industry in South Africa is keen to shake. NTP, a subsidiary of the South African Nuclear Corporation (NECSA), produces quality radiation-based products and offers services that need not be feared. In fact the company is providing hope and possibility to many people worldwide. Iodine-131 (I-131) and Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) are just two of the products fashioned by NTP and they are key elements in specialised nuclear medicine used to treat and diagnose diseases including hyperthyroidism and cancer. “Mo-99 is used in over 100,000 nuclear medical procedures globally every day,” says Don Robertson, NTP’s Managing Director. “Nuclear medicine differs from traditional medicine because it cannot be produced in bulk and stored on the shelves for a period of time. Nuclear medicine uses very minute quantities of radioactive material and the procedures are non-invasive. It is painless, safe and used for early and accurate diagnosis. Also, nuclear medicine has fewer to no side effects compared to traditional medicine when used correctly,” he says. While nuclear medicine is safe and efficient, it is time consuming to produce and decays quickly. “Radioisotopes decay with time. They have a half-life,” says Robertson. “For example Mo-99 has a half-life of 66 hours and technetium99m has a half-life of six hours. Therefore, 20% of Mo-99 activity is lost per 24 hours. “Due to the half-life of these, access to airports is critical
for export of radioisotopes for medical use.” Considering that Mo-99 is one of the most valuable commodities in the world, efficiency in delivery is vital. To date, NTP has a fantastic record of getting medicine from its facilities at the NECSA nuclear facility near Pretoria, to the other side of the world before it loses its effective activity. Demand for nuclear medicine is on the rise because of its ability to help diagnose cancer, heart disease and other illnesses at an early stage. “Mo-99 and I-131 are active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) so the buyers of these radioisotopes are radiopharmaceutical companies. They then produce radiopharmaceutical products ready for patient use and distribution to the hospitals and clinics,” says Robertson. So what for the future? There is huge potential and benefits to be derived from nuclear medicine but investment is required to keep South Africa at the forefront of the industry. There is growth in the use of radioisotopes for therapeutic purposes such as Lutetium-177 (Lu-177). NTP is gearing toward local production of Lu-177 Dotatate which is used for treatment of neuroendocrine tumors. Since its inception in the 90s, NTP has proven itself to be one of the world’s most reliable producers of radioisotopes and as South Africa’s nuclear industry continues to grow, the success and accomplishment of the company looks set to continue.
“Mo-99 is used in over 100,000 nuclear medical procedures globally every day”
NTP Radioisotopes,
Exxaro
a Nuclear Medicine Powerhouse! NTP supplies, amongst others, the following medical products: • •
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Tucked away on the slopes west of Pretoria, in South Africa at the Necsa nuclear facility is NTP Radioisotopes SOC Ltd, a company which has evolved into an important global player in the radioactive business. Conducting its sophisticated operations amongst an array of state-of-the-art technology and highly competent scientists, engineers, technologists and radiopharmacists, NTP is one of the world’s leading suppliers of essential medical radioisotopes with strategic partners and associates ranking among leading international radiopharmaceutical producers and their suppliers. A subsidiary of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), NTP produces and supplies radiochemicals and radiopharmaceuticals, in particular Iodine-131 (I-131) and Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). The latter being the most important isotope used in the practice of diagnostic nuclear medicine. The company services the needs of the healthcare, life sciences and industrial markets – a market footprint covering over 60 countries worldwide. Patients throughout the world, therefore, benefit from nuclear medicine scans and other procedures performed using products supplied by NTP.
• • • •
•
I-131 for diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer Lu-177 n.c.a. labelled to DOTATATE for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (GEP-NET) Therapy F-18 FDG for whole body PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography) cancer imaging, staging, treatment planning and efficacy monitoring NaF-18 for high quality PET-CT imaging of bone metastases F-18 Choline for PET-CT imaging and accurate staging of prostate cancer I-131 MIBG for diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma Organ seeking “cold kits” for SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) imaging of the functionality of most organs of the body Generator for the Tc-99m isotope used in SPECT diagnostic imaging procedures
NTP Radioisotopes has over the years created various business subsidiaries or increased shareholding to create a Group of companies that have expanded and supported the holding company’s portfolio, revenue stream and exceptional customer service. As an international it has facilities that are ISO 9001:2008 compliant and approved by the world’s major medical regulatory bodies.
Early detection of most diseases assisted by using nuclear medicine greatly enhances the possibility of early and accurate diagnosis. This allows for prompt and proper treatment and, therefore, a better chance of a saved life!
NTP Radioisotopes is in the business of actively enhancing life!
marketing@ntp.co.za www.ntp.co.za
OCT 13 PAGE 5
CompANY PROFILE ...continued from page 35 handled within the rules and regulations and international atomic agency standards and so on,” he says. At Necsa, professional people is exactly what you get thanks to the expert training facility that has been developed to ensure the workforce, and the industry and economy more widely, is operating to the highest standards.
A NUCLEAR FUTURE As we discussed last month, the DoE (Department of Energy) is leading a project which will evaluate all factors involved in developing a further 9600MW of nuclear power station and Dr Kemm says that taking steps towards a larger nuclear contribution is now the right way to go. “I believe in 100 years’ time, when people look back, just like we look back to when we moved from horse drawn carts to trams, they’ll say; why on earth did people have doubts in the early 2000’s that nuclear wouldn’t be the predominant energy form of the world? “With uranium and thorium, South Africa having the richest thorium mine in the world, there’s nothing you can do accept from burn them in nuclear reactors. Whereas with coal, oil and shale gas, in my mind you should take the valuable molecules and turn them into useful, saleable products using nuclear power rather than being wasteful and burning them. Chemically they are very valuable molecules
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whereas the only thing you can do with uranium is split it in a reactor. “It’s not a good idea to burn all your valuable fossil fuel molecules,” he says. In August, Department of Energy director-general Nelisiwe Magubane indicated that nuclear power is very high on her agenda saying: “Given our climate change commitments and the fact that some of the coal-fired power stations will retire around 2022 and require replacement, nuclear power is becoming more of a necessity than an option.” She also suggested that communication is required to reassure people of the safety of the industry. “Resistance to nuclear energy has been part and parcel of this industry. We know that the lack of information and knowledge is a preliminary source of fear in any setting, and the nuclear sector is not exempt from this. “Preliminary results indicate that if we intend to reduce our carbon footprint and also have vibrant economic growth, nuclear energy will be part of the solution,” she said. Dr Kemm reiterates this point, stating that many theories are thrown out by the media and often this can lead to unscientific responses so education is vital if the nuclear power is to be widely accepted as a safe, healthy power source. “We do need to inform the public” he says. “You get
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concepts such as LNT (Linear No-Threshold) which is said to be a scientific theory but that is not true. It says that there is no lower dose of radiation that is safe but this has been shown to be not the case. Very low doses are very handleable and in fact, there is even a concept called radiation hormesis which suggests low doses are beneficial and act like vitamins. “We need the public to understand that LNT is wrong. To suggest that any exposure to any amount of radiation is very dangerous is just not true and it’s very irresponsible. What it does is force the price up as you now put specifications on the nuclear plant which are over the top. If you believe that one atom of radioactive material is dangerous, you then put filters in, cleaning processes in and all these things because of an emotive reaction caused by a story in a magazine and not a well thought out scientific decision. “We need to approach the whole concept of radiation, contamination and health and so on, very scientifically and professionally rather than emotively through the media in the wrong sort of way.”
NUCLEAR FOR PE? Tshelane told us last month that potential sites for a new
nuclear power station were being evaluated with Cape Town and Port Elizabeth currently looking like the favourites. Dr Kemm agrees that PE would be a favourable location due to the fact that the region has almost no power generation facilities of its own. “Three sites were identified some years ago, one in Port Elizabeth and two in Cape Town. Although no government decision has been made yet, it appears that the PE site is the favourite. “My feeling is that it would be sensible as it’s perfectly located to serve that whole Eastern Cape region which has no power production of its own so in principle it’s at the mercy of the long power lines from the coal fields. Strategically it makes sense as we produce nearly all of the country’s electricity up in the north east and as the country is growing it makes sense to produce more electricity in the south and there isn’t any coal down there so there answer is nuclear. It’s the one large base load that you can rely on, with an 80% load factor,” he says. Necsa is part of an international community of nuclear nations and while the company garners support and advice from all over the world, it is important to remember that the
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CompANY PROFILE
power situation in Africa is different to all of the other areas globe. This is why much consideration has to go into the location of the new plant and also why consideration has to be taken as to the setup of the new plant. “We have to have African solutions for Africa,” says Dr Kemm. “We must not attempt to copy the first world exactly. People will look at other countries and say ‘they do it this way, why don’t we do it like that too?’ and the circumstances in terms of size and climate are so different that bad mistakes can be made by assuming that they have the right answer. They have the right answer for them and not for us.” The challenge for now will be developing a team and further upskilling the industry so that as the 9600MW rollout continues, the South African nuclear industry, led by Necsa and its partners, remains one of the world’s most effective and most efficient.
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“It’s not a good idea to burn all your valuable fossil fuel molecules” PAGE 8 nov 13
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For more info go to www.spectro.com/ms
A hypothetical question of course! But even if we could ask them, the SPECTRO MS makes the question redundant. This novel ICP mass spectrometer analyzes the entire relevant mass spectrum completely simultaneously; faster and more precisely to boot. SPECTRO MS
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+27 12 305 4911 www.necsa.co.za
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