The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) has welcomed the decision by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) to authorise the extension of the operational life of the first reactor (known as Unit 1) at the Koeberg nuclear power plant (NPP) by 20 years. Such an extension in a reactor’s life is known, globally, as Long Term Operation (LTO).

Koeberg is owned and operated by national State-owned electricity utility Eskom. Necsa is a separate State-owned company, which owns and operates the SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor, at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria.

Koeberg, located some 30 km north of Cape Town, on the Atlantic coast, is the country’s only NPP and currently Africa’s only operational NPP. (The second will be Egypt’s El Dabaa, which will have four reactors and is scheduled to commission its first unit in 2026 and be fully operational by 2030.) Koeberg is composed of two reactors, Unit 1 and Unit 2, and has a total generation capacity of 1 940 MW. The licences for the two reactors were separated by the NNR in January, so that each reactor could have a licence that was aligned with its operational dates, which are not identical. Unit 1 started operation in July 1984, but Unit 2 only followed suit in November 1985, some 16 months later.

“We congratulate Eskom for taking due care in their submission to the NNR, which has ensured that the approval is granted for Unit 1,” said Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe. “With this track record we are confident that Unit 2 will follow suit, and Necsa is in full support. The Koeberg [NPP] extension guarantees South Africans a 20-year continuation of secure, clean and affordable energy.”

Necsa also commended the NNR for making certain that all the licensed nuclear operators in the country were kept under nuclear safety oversight. In particular, Necsa cited the time and effort expended by the NNR, to ensure an extensive public participation process, regarding Eskom’s request that LTO be authorised for Unit 1. Necsa noted that it was able to express its support for Koeberg LTO during this process.

Eskom will be making a separate request to the NRR to authorise the LTO of Koeberg Unit 2.