Koeberg nuclear power station unit 1 to undergo final load rejection test

With load shedding suspended until next week Friday, Eskom said that Unit 1 at its Koeberg Nuclear Power Station will be undergoing its final test on Saturday.

Eskom acting spokesperson Aubrey Sambo said this is the final test that needs to be performed following the installation of the new steam generators.

“The purpose of the full load rejection test is to verify and demonstrate the ability of the unit to supply its auxiliary load and return to steady state conditions following a sudden disconnection from the national grid.

“The South African Grid Code (SAGC) requires that units be tested if modifications are made that could impact their capability to meet the SAGC requirements. As part of the steam generator replacement project, significant changes (modifications) were made on numerous plant components, including control systems,” Sambo said.

ALSO READ: Unit 1 at Koeberg Power Station back in operation

Testing

Sambo said in line with SAGC, the response of the unit to a full load rejection incident needs to be tested and verified.

“Prior to and in preparation of the full load rejection test, various commissioning tests were performed successfully.

“As a result, Eskom is confident that this test will be a success. However, in the unlikely event of the test failing and resulting in a unit trip, the Koeberg team is ready to respond and will work towards safely returning the unit back to service as soon as possible,” Sambo added.

Koeberg

Eskom synchronised Unit 1 at the Koeberg Power Station with the grid last month following the longest outage in the station’s history, during which three original steam generators were replaced with new ones.

Eskom originally planned to bring the unit 1 back online by June 2023 but it suffered multiple delays.

Unit 2 was taken offline to undergo a similar mechanical process of having its steam generators replaced.

Each unit of Koeberg generates 900MW when the plant is operating optimally, equal to two load-shedding stages.

The Koeberg Nuclear Power Station has a total capacity of 1860 MW, contributing approximately 5% of electricity generated by Eskom.

ALSO READ: Glimmer of hope: Koeberg Unit 1 on track to return to service in November