Sproat said that under favorable circumstances, construction of a prototype PBMR, a 110MWe helium cooled reactor, in South Africa could begin as early as the middle of 2002 and be completed in 36 months.
Following a one-year testing period, commercial operation could then begin as early as 2006. Sproat said that if the technology proves successful, Exelon, which holds a 12.5% interest in the PBMR, would then evaluate whether to build and operate a unit in the United States.
