South Africa's Koeberg unit 1 gets 20-year life extension

South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has granted a license to ensure the Koeberg nuclear power station unit 1 can continue operating for another 20 years.

The announcement was made by public utility Eskom, which has operated the plant for 40 years.

Koeberg Unit 1 provides 930MW to the grid, and will now be licensed to continue generating power until 21 July 2044.

This has been hailed as positive news in light of regular power outages experienced in South Africa, and the county's need for coal-free baseload power.

Public consultations were held prior to the decision being reached, during which safety concerns were expressed regarding erosion of the containment buildings. However, Peter Bester, the regulator’s programme manager for nuclear power plants, reportedly said that a safety review has been completed and the plant is fit for purpose.

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“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,” said Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom group executive for Generation.

Keith Featherstone, Eskom chief nuclear officer, commented in a statement: “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.”

Eskom will continue to operate unit 1 until January 2025, at which point the unit will be shut down for its next scheduled refuelling and maintenance outage.

Koeberg unit 2 is currently mid-outage to allow for the replacement of the three steam generators. Once the outage is complete the unit will be returned to service. The current operating license for unit 2 is due to expire in November 2025, at which point Eskom will apply for an extension of the operating license.

Eskom applied for the unit 1 and 2 operating licenses to be decoupled, as unit 2 began operating more than a year after Unit 1, on July 21, 1984. The Regulator approved this request in January 2024.

Koeberg is the only operating nuclear power plant in Africa. It contains two pressurised water reactors based on a design by France's Framatome.