Delays in rehabilitating South Africa’s sole nuclear power plant, Koeberg, have alarmed government officials and energy analysts. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the project’s lack of progress and transparency. During a visit to Koeberg, he expressed “extreme concern” about the uncertainty surrounding the return of unit 1 to service, as well as the potential overlap with the refurbishment of unit 2. The prolonged delays have raised concerns that the country will continue to experience higher levels of load shedding well into 2024. This article examines the implications of Koeberg’s project delay, the risks posed by potential power outages, and the critical need for action to ensure the nation’s energy security.
Koeberg’s life-extension project entails replacing all of the steam generators in both units 1 and 2. Each unit produces 920MW, which is nearly an entire stage of load shedding. Koeberg’s current operating licence expires on July 21, 2024, leaving little room for further postponement. Unit 1 was supposed to be finished by July, with unit 2 scheduled to go offline in September. However, the deadline for unit 1 has already been pushed back to September, and there are fears that it will be delayed even further to October, creating a risky situation with no buffer period between its return to service and the shutdown of unit 2.
Minister Ramokgopa stressed that nuclear technology is one of the safest in the world, but the prolonged refurbishment delay is causing market concern. He urged a thorough investigation into the root causes of the delays, emphasising the importance of protecting the nation’s interests. He stated that if any wrongdoing is discovered within Eskom or the Koeberg nuclear project team, accountability must be pursued to prevent individuals from holding the country hostage.
The importance of finishing Koeberg’s renovation cannot be overstated, as the project has already been delayed significantly. The expiration of Eskom’s operating licence in 2024 looms, and it appears that the company will struggle to meet the deadline. If the National Nuclear Regulator does not grant an extension, the units may be forced to close, posing a serious threat to South Africa’s energy stability. Energy analyst Chris Yelland expressed concern that the country has been painted into a corner, emphasising the need for immediate action and resolution.
Another major source of concern that adds to the energy landscape’s complexity is the G7’s legal challenge to Eskom’s new grid access rules. If successful, this challenge could halt grid access allocation to new projects and stall development, undermining efforts to add more megawatts to the grid. Ramokgopa stressed the importance of finding a resolution outside of court, aiming to accelerate the onstreaming of renewable energy projects and ensure harmony among all parties involved.
In addition to the Koeberg issues, Eskom suffered a setback when a fire broke out at Grootvlei power station, one of its oldest facilities. The incident had an impact on unit 2, which had a 190MW capacity. While the fire was contained and extinguished, the length of the outage remained unknown. In the midst of the ongoing energy crisis, the situation emphasises the importance of every megawatt.