Koeberg’s Unit One at 100% capacity: Ramokgopa

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Nearly 3 000 megawatts of electricity is set to be restored to the country’s national energy grid this year, therefore easing the levels of blackouts.

That’s according to Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

Ramokgopa was visiting the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in Cape Town.

Ramokgopa’s visit comes amid the replacement process of Unit Two’s steam generators, following the completion of Unit One’s generators last year.

Ramokgopa says he is confident that the delays which hounded the replacement of Unit One’s steam generators will be avoided this time around.

Unit One came online in December last year after an extended outage.

The replacement forms part of the requirements for the National Nuclear Regulator to consider the extension of life of the reactor units, which are due to reach their 40 year lifespan during this year and next year.

“Unit One now is operating at 100% capacity and as I have mentioned before as a result of the refurbishment and extension of life we were able to get an additional 27 megawatts over and above what was the initial licence, so that’s a positive thing.”

Power station management say these lessons include issues around planning and equipment challenges.

Koeberg Power Station manager Velaphi Ntuli says, “What we have beefed up is our response to equipment challenges as we go up so there are fewer numbers of equipment challenges because the systems have been out for a long period of time then you put a system in service you pick up leaks. So now we prepare packages upfront to say we know that we can have those type of experiences with those systems and we are ready for those now going forward in the next outage.”

Koeberg Nuclear Unit One nears final test after year-long upgrade

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Koeberg, South Africa’s only nuclear power station contributes almost 1900 megawatts to the grid.

With each reactor generating 930 MW.

Ramokgopa says with the return to service later this year of Koeberg’s Unit Two as well as units at other power stations, Eskom will be in a position to prevent higher stages of load shedding.

While there is no clear indication as to when South Africans can kiss load shedding goodbye, Ramokgopa is confident that the resolution of the utility’s transmission challenges are central to that timeline.