The National Nuclear Regulator has granted Eskom a licence to continue operating Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1, that provides 930MW to the grid, for another 20 years.Koeberg Unit 1 will join around 120 reactors worldwide which have continued operations beyond their initial 40-year life.
The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) has expressed confidence that the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) will extend the operating licence of Unit 2 at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station for a further 20 years after granting the same to Unit 1.
The NNR on Monday granted Eskom a licence to continue operating Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1, which provides 930MW to the grid, for another 20 years until July 21, 2044.
Necsa said it welcomed the NNR’s finalisation of the Long Term Operation (LTO) assessment and recommendation giving the green light for Eskom to extend operations at Unit 1.
Necsa group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe commended the NNR for ensuring nuclear safety oversight to all licensed nuclear operators and for taking time and effort in an extensive public participation process, where Necsa also got an opportunity to share its support for the life extension of Koeberg.
“We congratulate Eskom for taking due care in their submission to the NNR, which has ensured that the approval is granted for Unit 1. With this track record we are confident that Unit 2 will follow suit, and Necsa is in full support,” Tyabashe said.
“The Koeberg Nuclear Power Station extension guarantees South Africans a 20-year continuation of secure, clean and affordable energy,” he said.
Eskom’s chief nuclear officer, Keith Featherstone, said the granting of the licence was “a testament to the hard work and continued commitment of our teams to nuclear safety and Eskom’s generation recovery plan”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which serves as a global intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology, confirmed it conducted a Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) mission at Koeberg, from March 22 to 31, 2022.
“The SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review directly addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long-term operation of nuclear power plants. A follow-up mission is planned for September 2024,” the IAEA said.
“Some countries have given a high priority to extend the designed lifetime of their reactors from 40 years to 60 or 80 years, subject to regulatory approval.
“To achieve the goal of the long-term safe, economic and reliable operation of a nuclear power plant, a Plant Life Management, or PLiM, programme is essential.
“PLiM programmes for long-term operation are in place in many countries, including in South Africa.”
World Nuclear Association spokesperson Henry Preston said the lifetime extension of a nuclear power plant was a demonstration of the hard work and commitment to nuclear safety culture by the industry.
“Keeping clean energy assets, such as Koeberg, online should be greatly celebrated. Nuclear provides 24/7 clean energy supporting both energy security and sustainability.”
The association explained that nuclear power plants are routinely extended, particularly water-cooled reactors like Koeberg.
Citing examples in the US and Sweden, where water-cooled reactors were granted extensions up to 80 years, the association said most plants are initially built and licensed for 40 to 60 years, then are periodically reviewed and can be extended beyond that if they meet regulatory requirements.
The Koeberg Alert Alliance’s Peter Becker believes the NNR had been under great pressure to make the decision.
“We don’t believe they have had time to fully consider all the submissions from the public. The independence of the NNR has also been questioned by the IAEA, which described it as ‘insufficiently independent”.
Cape Times