Pelindaba
Reactor Data
Research Reactors
Research and test reactors, critical assemblies and prototypes at this site, as listed in the IAEA Research Reactor Database: type, thermal power, first criticality, shutdown date, current status and what each is used for.
2 reactors: 1 operational, 1 decommissioned.
| Reactor | Type | Thermal Power | First Criticality | Shutdown | Status | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAFARI-1 | Tank In Pool | 20 MWt | 1965-03-18 | Operational | isotope production, neutron scattering, neutron radiography, transmutation, activation analysis, geochronology, teaching, training | |
| Pelinduna-0 | Crit Fast | 1967-01-01 | Decommissioned |
Source: IAEA Research Reactor Database (RRDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Fuel Cycle Facilities
Fuel cycle plants at this site, as listed in the IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database: what each plant does, its scale and design capacity, the years it operated, its current status and who operates it.
7 facilities: 1 in operation, 2 decommissioning, 3 shutdown, 1 others.
| Facility | Type | Scale | Design Capacity | Operated | Status | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelindaba Fuel Fabrication | Fuel Fabrication (Research Reactors) | Pilot plant | 1 t HM/year | 1978– | In Operation | Atomic Energy Corporation |
| Valindaba Y - Plant | Uranium Enrichment | Pilot plant | 10 MTSWU/year | 1978–1990 | Decommissioning | Atomic Energy Corporation |
| Valindaba (UF6) | Conversion to UF6 | Commercial | 1400 t HM/year | 1986–1997 | Shutdown | Uranium Enrichment Corporation |
| Valindaba Z - Plant | Uranium Enrichment | Commercial | 300 MTSWU/year | 1986–1995 | Decommissioning | Atomic Energy Corporation Of South Africa Ltd (AEC) |
| Beva | Fuel Fabrication (U Pellet, Pin, FA) | Commercial | 100 t HM/year | 1988–1996 | Shutdown | Atomic Energy Corporation Of South Africa Ltd (AEC) |
| Pelindaba Zircaloy Tubing | Zirconium Alloy Tubing | Commercial | 0 km/year | 1988–1993 | Shutdown | Atomic Energy Corporation Of South Africa Ltd (AEC) |
| Valindaba (Laser) | Uranium Enrichment | Pilot plant | 30 MTSWU/year | 1995–1998 | Others | Atomic Energy Corporation |
Source: IAEA Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Database (NFCFDB), as of 2026-10-13.
Working Here
Per Diem Rates FY 2026
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from the U.S. State Department foreign per diem tables for FY 2026.
$109
Lodging/Night
$61
M&IE/Day
$170
Total/Day
South Africa: rate for locations the State Department does not list separately
U.S. Department of State foreign per diem, for U.S. government and contractor travel.
Photos
Photos of this facility from the NukeWorker photo gallery. Click the header or any photo to browse the full album.
Facility Map
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
-25.8003, 27.942
Location & Contact
Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Plant Facts
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Pelindaba; Wikipedia: SAFARI-1; GlobalSecurity: Valindaba / Pelindaba East.
Pelindaba is South Africa's main nuclear research center, about 33 km west of Pretoria, southeast of the Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province. It was developed by the Atomic Energy Board, which took on the country's nuclear research and development work in 1959.
Read more
The SAFARI-1 research reactor was built from 1961 to 1965 under the United States Atoms for Peace program, and first reached criticality on March 18, 1965. Beside the center, the Y-plant (also called Valindaba) was a uranium enrichment plant. Pilot plant construction began in 1971 and the plant was shut in 1990.