Latest news with #Koeberg
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Eskom: Koeberg repairs won't worsen load-shedding this winter
Eskom has announced that Koeberg Unit 1 will now return to service by the end of August, instead of this month, due to additional steam generator maintenance. The unit was initially expected back online in July, but Eskom said the revised timeline reflects its commitment to thorough inspections and the highest quality standards at South Africa's only nuclear power station. 'During scheduled detailed eddy current inspections – a non-destructive testing method used to detect cracks, corrosion or wear in the metal tubes of steam generators – defects were identified on four tubes, among several thousand inspected, across two of the newly installed generators,' the power utility explained. Specialised international and local teams immediately carried out advanced automated repairs on the four tubes. Eskom confirmed these repairs have been successfully completed to uphold stringent safety standards. Major maintenance completed Eskom said major maintenance work, including the legally required 10-year Integrated Leak Rate Test (ILRT), had been successfully completed. The ILRT pressurised the reactor building over 72 hours to confirm its structural integrity and leak-tightness in line with international standards. Eskom group executive for generation Bheki Nxumalo emphasised: 'The safety of employees, the public and the environment remains our top priority. Carrying out these additional inspections and repairs to world-class standards is an investment in the long-term reliability of Koeberg and South Africa's energy future.' No increased load-shedding risk Eskom reassured that the delay will not increase the risk of load-shedding. Since mid-May, there has been no load-shedding, with only 26 hours of outages recorded between April 1 and Thursday. 'The winter outlook released on May 5 remains valid. Importantly, the planned return of 2 500MW this winter does not rely on Unit 1,' Eskom said. Unit 2 remains fully operational, generating up to 946MW with a year-to-date Energy Availability Factor of 99.38% at the end of June. – Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
5 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Defects in metal tubes delay return to service of Koeberg unit 1
Defects detected in metal tubes have delayed the return to service of Koeberg nuclear power station's unit 1 until the end of August. The unit, which has been offline undergoing maintenance, was expected to be back in service by July. Eskom said in an update on Tuesday that during scheduled eddy current inspections — a non-destructive testing method used to detect cracks, corrosion or wear in the metal tubes of steam generators — 'defects were identified on four tubes among several thousand tubes inspected, across two of the newly installed generators'. 'This revised timeline underscores Eskom's commitment to conducting thorough inspections and maintaining the highest quality standards to ensure the ongoing safe and reliable performance of South Africa's only nuclear power station,' it said. 'Eskom carried out an advanced automated process to address the four tube defects, supported by specialised international teams working with local experts. These critical repairs have now been completed to uphold the highest safety and quality standards.' The power utility added that the delayed return to service of the unit would not pose an increased threat of load-shedding. Major maintenance, including a legally required 10-year test, in which the reactor building was pressurised over 72 hours, its leak rate and structural integrity were monitored, were completed. Eskom said the plant's unit 2 remained fully operational, generating up to 946MW. TimesLIVE
News24
5 days ago
- General
- News24
Koeberg Unit 1 return delayed, but no risk of load shedding, Eskom says
The planned return of Koeberg nuclear power station's Unit 1, which was offline due to long-term maintenance, has been delayed until the end of August.
Zawya
25-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Here's why Africa should develop nuclear energy?
Across the continent, a staggering 600 million people remain without access to electricity, a number that translates into significant energy poverty, particularly in rural Africa, where 70-80 million need to gain access yearly to be on track to meet the 2030 universal access to electricity target. While our continent accounts for 17 percent of the world's population, we generate less than 3 percent of global electricity. This 'power poverty' stifles industrialisation, limits healthcare outcomes, and constrains economic transformation even as Africa exports uranium and other critical minerals to power many parts of the world. Although there is remarkable progress across countries on the continent, the overall pace of progress is slow, requiring an ambitious shift towards nuclear energy, tailored to Africa's unique needs and opportunities. Critics are right to debate questions of safety, malice, accidents, cost and potential harmful effects on the environment. Many argue that investing in renewables is sufficient. Furthermore, the public is unlikely to forget Chernobyl and Fukushima and the constant threat of nuclear war. Yet, South Africa's Koeberg plant has operated safely for 40 years, proving nuclear energy works on the continent. In addition, experts note that nuclear energy has the lowest death rate per kWh of any major energy source, safer than wind and solar when accounting for manufacturing risks. Modern reactors such as Westinghouse's AP1000 have passive safety systems that shut down automatically. With its 25 reactors, South Korea has gone from energy importer to nuclear energy exporter and has a target of providing 30 percent of its electricity while cutting emissions by 2030. Similarly, France generates 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear, achieving Europe's lowest electricity prices and a clean grid. Bangladesh, with GDP per capita -- similar to Kenya's -- is building its first reactor with Russian support, proving nuclear energy can be accessible to developing countries. And there are more encouraging developments closer home. Egypt is constructing four 1,200MW reactors at El Dabaa—a $30 billion bet on nuclear as an industrial catalyst. Ghana has partnered with NuScale Power to explore Small Modular Reactors - SMRs that could power mines and cities simultaneously. Furthermore, countries that fall under the Tier 1 category - Egypt, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria and Zambia - are starting or expanding their nuclear energy programs. Governments in Niger, Kenya, Tunisia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, DR Congo, Senegal, Algeria and Zimbabwe are working towards the role of nuclear energy in their future electricity supply systems. Read: Uganda sets 2031 target for nuclear energyThe International Energy Agency estimates that growth in Africa's industry, commerce and agriculture will require electricity demand to grow by 40 percent by 2030. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa assesses that the African Continental Free Trade Area electricity needs will account for 8 percent of the total continental electricity capacity by 2035, and 14percent by 2040, requiring additional investment of $22.4 billion between 2025 and 2040. Furthermore, by 2040, due to rapid population and economic growth in Africa, the electricity supply must expand by more than four times. Furthermore, Africa is facing sectoral transformations due to frontier technologies. Data centres to store big data and power frontier technologies require a significant energy supply. The gradual transition of Africa's transport system to electric vehicles will also increase the demand for electricity generation on the continent. Read: Kenya electric vehicles uptake goes up five-foldAfrica can no longer risk crawling its way out of energy insecurity. As we say in Africa, we can sing and dance at the same time. As we invest in renewable energy resources, we can also advance nuclear energy development. Egypt's El Dabaa will deliver 4,800MW for $6.25 billion. With an over 40-year lifespan, nuclear makes it cost-competitive. But what about the nagging question of nuclear waste? Current innovations are proving that new reactor designs consume nuclear waste as fuel. Waste management systems have also developed to offer safer options for disposal. Countries such as Niger with large deposits of uranium could power reactors for centuries while solving waste challenges. Namibia could achieve energy independence and power the rest of Africa for decades to come – after all, Africa controls 20 percent of global uranium reserves. The path ahead is clear. We must harness nuclear energy's potential and adopt a bold political commitment backed by a clear national roadmap, including target dates for operational plants and long-term capacity-building initiatives. The potential is enormous and could result in creating thousands of skilled jobs and transforming Africa's energy system towards greater energy security. Governments need to tap into the reliability of nuclear power. With a 90 percent capacity factor, plants enjoy up to 45 years of economic life. While large-scale reactors provide stable baseload power, low-hanging fruit should focus on deploying SMRs first (20-300MW) to power mines and industries, before scaling up to gigawatt plants. To address the financing hurdle, which requires high upfront costs (70–85 percent fixed), countries can draw lessons from Africa's 6.4GW renewable energy projects, such as South Africa's procurement programme and global nuclear public-private partnership financing models. Africa's regional power pools, such as the Southern African Power Pool and the upcoming regional electricity market in the East African Power Pool, could amplify investment by pooling demand. The African Single Electricity Market (Vision 2040) aims to integrate continental grids, boosting nuclear power's viability. Creating an African nuclear alliance can pool resources, negotiate better technology transfer deals and training programs and reform energy financing in partnership with Africa's financial institutions to de-risk projects. The African Union and regional blocs must lead this charge to secure Africa's energy future. The time is now to move from potential to action. If done right, Africa could be a leader in this sector. Nuclear energy offers a bright future. But we must act deliberately and have the courage to embrace it. Claver Gatete is Executive Secretary of UN Economic Commission for Africa. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. 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The Herald
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald
'Winter plan remains valid despite load-shedding challenges': Kgosientsho Ramokgopa
This is in keeping with the long-term operation, the extension obtained 'from the operator to grant us an additional 20 years of operation and though it's [unit 1] out we are projecting it is going to come back in July, when we'll be at the peak of winter'. 'During this winter we're going to have the benefit of all of the Koeberg units, at least by July. We synchronised Kusile unit 6 to the grid on March 26, so that's additional capacity we have on the grid, about 800MW.' However, Ramokgopa acknowledged that despite these structural improvements, unplanned maintenance setbacks have affected the ability to meet energy demands, necessitating load-shedding. The primary issue lies in 'outage slips', where units scheduled to return to service after maintenance failed to do so on time, amounting to a shortfall of 3,100MW. Ramokgopa attributed the delays to challenges with third-party contractors and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). 'Those units have not come back as a result of a multiplicity of reasons. Some of them had to do with the third-party players, the contractors, the OEMs, that have not delivered,' he said.
