[1] PBMR facilities include gas turbine and heat transfer labs at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University, and at Pelindaba, a high pressure and temperature helium test rig, as well as a prototype fuel fabrication plant.

The PBMR is characterised by inherent safety features, which mean that no human error or equipment failure can cause an accident that would harm the public.

[5] The concept is based on the AVR reactor and THTR in Germany, but modified to drive a Brayton closed-cycle gas turbine.

[8] In 2006, the US Department of Energy awarded the PBMR consortium the primary contract for the first phase of its New Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project.

In 2009 PBMR (Pty) announced that it was looking at employing the technology for process heat applications,[3] and some pebble bed reactor contracts had been put on hold to prevent unnecessary spending[9] In February 2010 the South Africa government announced it had stopped funding the development of the pebble bed modular reactor, and PBMR (Pty) stated it was considering 75% cuts in staff.

Unresolved technical items, a substantial increase of costs and a 2008 report from Forschungszentrum Jülich about major problems in operation of the German pebble bed reactor AVR[11] had discouraged potential investors.

In Sept 2010 the SA govt announced that in future, the South African nuclear program will concentrate on conventional light water reactors.

Over 80% came from the South African government, with smaller amounts from Eskom (8.8%), Westinghouse (4.9%), Industrial Development Corporation (4.9%) and Exelon (1.1%).