Koeberg celebrates 40 years of safe nuclear operation delivering 1 800MW of reliable baseload power to South Africa

21 July 2024

Today, Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in Cape Town, Western Cape province, marks 40 years of safe nuclear operation of its Unit 1 reactor. Throughout this period, it has reliably generated clean and affordable electricity, playing a crucial role in the economic development of the country.

The National Occupational Safety Association (NOSA) has recognised Koeberg’s commitment to safety by bestowing upon it the NOSCAR status on over 14 occasions.

Construction at Koeberg began on 1 July 1976, and the Unit 1 reactor was taken critical for the first time on 4 April 1984. On 21 July 1984, Unit 1 completed the commissioning tests at 100% power and entered into commercial operation. Unit 2 followed later and entered commercial operation on 9 November 1985.

With most of South Africa’s power stations situated on the Highveld coal fields in the Mpumalanga province in the north of the country, over a 1 000km away from Cape Town, Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is a critical anchor for the country’s electricity transmission network in the Western Cape. Its location significantly reduces the transmission losses associated with supplying the requirements of the City of Cape Town and the surrounding areas.

Eskom’s Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane stated, “This 40-year milestone is testament that South Africa has the people with the right knowledge, skills, experience, and capabilities to run a nuclear power station safely. Having successfully obtained the licence to operate for an additional 20 years, Koeberg will play a critical role in reducing carbon emissions and continuing to maintain and build a skilled nuclear workforce.”

“Koeberg is a key contributor as part of Eskom’s energy generation mix and stabilising electricity supply in South Africa by providing reliable baseload power. It helps increase the energy security of the country and provide critical megawatts to close our national energy supply gap, and it will continue to play a key role as Eskom moves aggressively into delivering a cleaner energy portfolio,” said Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom Group Executive for Generation.

“As we celebrate and honour this special anniversary, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for the remarkable contribution by all the present and past Koeberg staff and contractors in maintaining excellence in nuclear safety, operational performance and environmental stewardship for four decades,” said Keith Featherstone, Chief Nuclear Officer.

The safe design, operation, maintenance, and improvement of Koeberg over the past 40 years, including the completion of the Long-Term Operation (LTO) project on Unit 1 in December 2023, paved the way for the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) to grant Eskom a licence on Monday, 15 July 2024. This licence permits the continued operation of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 until 21 July 2044. As a result, Koeberg Unit 1 is expected to contribute over 930MW to the grid for another 20 years. With the licence extension, Koeberg joins approximately 120 reactors worldwide that have safely extended operations beyond their initial 40-year lifespan.

Given that Unit 2 is in a similar condition as Unit 1, a request to extend its operations for another 20 years was made to NNR and Eskom awaits the regulator’s decision before its current licence expires on 9 November 2025.

Not only is Koeberg still the only operating nuclear power station in Africa, it also boasts the largest turbine generators in the Southern Hemisphere. Koeberg is also surrounded by a 3000-hectare private nature reserve owned by Eskom, containing more than 150 different species of birds and half a dozen small mammal species.

We would like to express our gratitude to the community and all stakeholders for their continued support and collaboration over the past 40 years. We trust that this will continue into the future as we persist in implementing the operational recovery plan, strengthening governance, and future-proofing the organisation. This is to ensure energy security, growth, and long-term sustainability for the benefit of South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Issued by Eskom Media Desk, 21 July 2024