PELINDABA: One of few profitable parastatals (01 September 2011)

SA IS home to the world’s leading radioisotope production nuclear reactor — Safari-1 at Pelindaba in Gauteng — which last year generated medical isotope sales totalling R795m

SARAH WILD
Published: 2011/09/01 07:02:16 AM

SA IS home to the world’s leading radioisotope production nuclear reactor — Safari-1 at Pelindaba in Gauteng — which last year generated medical isotope sales totalling R795m.The profit-turning parastatal, the Nuclear Energy Corporation of SA (Necsa), last year saw sales of R1bn, with a group profit of R163m — earning it a place of honour as one of SA’s few profitable parastatals.

The 46-year-old Safari-1 reactor, also known as the South African Fundamental Atomic Research Installation, was provided by the US as part of its Atoms for Peace programme. "It’s a 20MW … material test reactor, which means it’s not used for electricity generation," says Necsa spokesman Elliot Mulane.

Safari-1’s main commercial use is medical isotopes, and the production of molybdenum-99, which is used in medical nuclear diagnostic testing. This falls under the activities of Necsa’s subsidiary and cash cow, NTP Radioisotopes, which saw a R178m profit last year, up from R95m in 2009.

In its annual report for 2009- 10, Necsa estimates that "the products supplied by NTP allow for the performance of 8-million to 10-million nuclear medical diagnostic scans every year".A problem at a radioisotope facility in Canada in 2009 saw SA becoming the world’s leading radioisotope producer as it responded to the supply shortfall.

"Most international flights that leave OR Tambo (International Airport) contain one of these medical isotopes, encased in a special container," Mr Mulane says. "The container can be compared to the black box on the plane — it’s that hardy." NTP supplies more than 50 countries with its isotopes. Over a period of about 60 hours, molybdenum-99 decays to become Technetium, which is "what the doctor orders", according to Mr Mulane.

Aside from selling the radioisotopes themselves, NTP has its own logistics company to transport the radioactive substances and also produces the labelling kits that are used in conjunction with the radioisotope.

"We produce the (labelling kit), which is mixed with the radioactive substance — we use Technetium. It’s the radiopharmaceutical which the doctor will inject into the patient’s blood stream," says NTP executive director Mapula Letsoalo.

"Each labelling kit is organ- specific and therefore results in accumulation of Technetium in an organ, thus a doctor can do a scan," Dr Letsoalo says.

Necsa aims to expand its medical isotope production facility, with plans to have a dedicated isotope production reactor up and running by 2020-21.