Eskom’s group executive for generation, Bheki Nxumalo said on Monday that the Koeberg power station looks to continue its operating life for the next 20 years and will cost South Africa around R21 billion.
The nuclear power station outside cape Town has been in operation for 40 years.
Nxumalo said that the R21 billion will be well spent as Koeberg continues to be a major source of power generation.
The station has two units and generates around 920MW each, contributing about 5% of all the power generated by the utility.
Earlier this month, the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) said it granted Eskom a licence to continue operating Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 for another 20 years until July 21, 2044.
“Together with our business partners, we are proud of the achievement that ensures that Africa’s first and only nuclear power plant can now continue to operate safely into the future,” Nxumalo said.
Keith Featherstone, Eskom Chief Nuclear Officer said that the granting of the licence was a testament to the hard work and continued commitment of the Eskom team generation recovery plan.
“Over the years, Koeberg has identified and implemented safety improvements through both French and US nuclear experiences, which have reduced the risk to levels that would normally only be achieved by new, modern nuclear power plants,” concluded Featherstone.
Load shedding
South Africa has experienced 118 days without load shedding. The last time the country felt a loss in power supply was March 26, 2024.
Moreover, SA has had 84 days of constant supply throughout the winter period.
Eskom noted that the Recovery Plan continued to deliver efficiencies for the state utility with around R8.08 billion reduction in Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) diesel expenditure from April 1, 2024, to July 18, 2024, compared to the same period last year.
Six power stations recorded an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) greater than 70%, according to Eskom, and these stations are: Kusile, Kendal, Matimba, Matla, Majuba and Grootvlei.
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