South Africa: Koeberg unit 2 moves closer to 20-year life extension

Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in Cape Town was reconnected to the national grid on 30 December. Before it was brought back online, extensive maintenance was completed on the unit, intended to extend its operating life by a further 20 years.

During the major outage, three steam generators were replaced, comprehensive equipment inspections were carried out and fuel was loaded into the reactor core. These steps are intended to ensure the reactor’s safe and efficient long-term operation. The reactor unit’s modernisation is in line with Eskom’s strategy to extend the operating life of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. According to the state-owned company, unit 2, with an installed capacity of 930 MWe, is key to Eskom increasing its generation capacity by 2500 MW by March 2025.

The important role of nuclear power in South African energy

Unit 2 was taken offline on 11 December 2023, shortly after unit 1 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station was restarted following a successful major outage. In July, the National Nuclear Regulator granted Eskom a licence to operate unit 1 for a further 20 years, until 21 July 2044. The regulator is expected to decide on extending the operating licence for unit 2 later this year. According to Eskom, unit 1 has demonstrated “exceptional reliability” since it returned to service. Together, the two units provide around 5% of the country’s total electricity generation and play a key role in minimising power cuts and stabilising the national grid.

“With the gradual phase-out of ageing coal-fired power plants by 2030, nuclear power is becoming an important, reliable and stable baseload source. Unlike renewables, nuclear power provides an uninterrupted electricity supply to households and industry. Its zero-emission nature also contributes to meeting South Africa’s climate goals and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom’s Group Executive for Generation.

Economic and environmental benefits

Although projects such as the Koeberg plant’s Long-Term Operation (LTO) programme require substantial upfront investment, they are irreplaceable in the long term, according to Eskom CEO Dan Marokane.

“The Koeberg Nuclear Power Station clearly demonstrates the economic and environmental benefits of nuclear power and, through its operation, also contributes to a sustainable energy future,” he added.