Eskom’s Koeberg gets nuclear green light

South Africa’s nuclear regulator gave state-owned Eskom permission to run one of two units at the only nuclear plant on the continent for another two decades, as the country’s electricity supply remains fragile.

NNR CEO Ditebogo Kgomo said in a press briefing Monday that the National Nuclear Regulator granted the utility an operating license to operate Unit 1 of the 1,940 MW Koeberg station until July 2044 and deferred its decision on the second facility.

Located on the Atlantic coast about 27 kilometres north of Cape Town, the atomic plant’s first unit was completed in 1984 and the second the following year. 

The decision is a relief for Eskom, whose mostly coal-fired plants have been prone to breakdowns, resulting in record power cuts over the last couple of years.

While Koeberg gained a reputation for being one of the utility’s most reliable stations, a program to overhaul the facility — planned since 2010 — has faced delays.

Koeberg has also faced opposition from environmental groups. Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, whose portfolio included energy at the time, fired community representative Peter Becker from the board of the National Nuclear Regulator, citing a conflict of interest.

The country’s high court subsequently found the dismissal unlawful.

An International Atomic Energy Agency peer-review mission in 2022 concluded that South Africa had made some progress in preparation for safe long-term operations at Koeberg but urged the plant’s management to implement a number of measures to ensure safe long-term operations.

The measures raised by the IAEA peer review were noted as the regulator conducted its own assessment, according to Kgomo. She said the issues expressed in public hearings were also addressed.

The regulator’s decision has come down to the wire. Eskom sought and was granted permission earlier this year to separate the operating timelines of the two Koeberg units. While Unit 1’s license was due to expire on July 21, Unit 2 can run until Nov. 9, 2025, before it also requires a renewal.