Regulator approves South African waste facility licence transfer

Wednesday, 30 July 2025

The Vaalputs National Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility in the Northern Cape Province was established in 1986 for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated by South Africa's nuclear, industrial, medical and agricultural sectors, managed by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, under licence from the regulator.

The Nuclear Waste Disposal Institute (NWRDI) was established as a state-owned entity to manage South African radioactive waste disposal under the 2008 National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute Act, with a mandate including the management, operation and monitoring of operational radioactive waste disposal facilities. The institute was formally launched in 2014, and submitted an application for the Vaalputs licence to be reissued to it in 2019.

In a statement dated 25 July, the National Nuclear Regulator - the NNR - said its regulatory decision followed a "comprehensive and systematic review" of NRWDI's licence application.

"Following a robust review process, the NNR review team concluded that NRWDI application satisfied the applicable regulatory requirements in accordance with section 21 of the National Nuclear Regulator Act read with section 30(1) and (8) of the National Radioactive Disposal Institute Act," said Thiagan Pather, NNR's Designate Executive: Nuclear Technology and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material.

The authorisation licenses the Nuclear Waste Disposal Institute for the receipt of low-level radioactive waste in approved waste packages, temporary storage of waste packages in shielded areas within the facility reception hall, transfer of radioactive materials and contaminated equipment to other authorised facilities, and disposal of low-level waste packages in engineered near-surface trenches.