Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s Unit 1 was reconnected to the national grid on October 29, returning approximately 930 MW of capacity. This follows the unit’s first scheduled major maintenance outage since the installation of new steam generators.
The reconnection comes after a delay in returning Unit 1 earlier this year. During Eskom’s summer outlook briefing in September, the utility said the unit was offline for life-extension work and that its return – initially expected in July and then pushed to the end of August – was still awaiting final regulatory clearance.
With Unit 2 currently online at 941 MW, once Unit 1 reaches full output, the combined capacity of the two units will exceed 1 860 MW – about 5% of Eskom’s total generation output. The maintenance programme included comprehensive inspections, safety checks and a statutory 10-year integrated leak rate test confirming the containment structure’s integrity, Eskom said.
“To maintain grid stability, Koeberg’s maintenance outages are strategically staggered every 16 to 18 months, ensuring the two units are never offline at the same time. The life-time operation licence for Unit 1 was extended until July 2044, enabling the unit to continue supplying dependable, clean baseload capacity for the next two decades. Unit 2 has been running at full capacity for 234 days at a 99,88% year-to-date energy availability factor and is awaiting the National Nuclear Regulator’s decision on its 20-year long-term operation licence on November 9,” says Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom’s Group Executive for Generation.
