Load shedding remains suspended after Koeberg Unit 2 trips

Eskom has reassured South Africans that although Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station tripped and had to be shut down, load shedding will remain suspended.

While the trip did not necessitate the implementation of rolling blackouts, Eskom said overall generation capacity remains constrained.

No load shedding

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is expected to be reconnected to the national grid within 48 hours.

Koeberg Unit 2 inadvertently tripped during the execution of work on Unit 1, which is currently offline for work to be conducted as part of its Long-Term Operation (LTO) program. Unit 2 was safely shut down in accordance with its protection protocols, ensuring continued stability and security.

“While the trip did not necessitate the implementation of load shedding which remains suspended, Eskom acknowledges that overall, generation capacity remains constrained.

“The company continues to maintain high levels of maintenance, averaging 7 032MW in February. These efforts are key to enhancing fleet reliability ahead of increased winter demand while also meeting environmental licence conditions and regulatory requirements,” Mokwena said.

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Unit 2

Eskom synchronised Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station to the national power grid in December last year.

Together with Unit 1, the two units contribute 5% of South Africa’s total electricity to reduce load shedding.

Unit 2 was taken offline in December 2023 for refuelling, maintenance, and replacement of its three steam generators in a similar operation to the 11-month outage of Unit 1 that commenced in mid-December 2022.

Licence

At the time, Eskom said the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) was anticipated to decide on the extension of Unit 2’s operational license in 2025.

This is after the successful renewal of Unit 1’s license, which extended its operation until 2044. Eskom said Unit 1, contributing 930MW to the grid, had shown exceptional reliability since its return to service.

Cracks

It has previously been reported that in the past 40 years of operation, significant cracks have appeared in the concrete of the containment buildings at Koeberg.

The buildings need to be properly overpressure tested to ensure that radiation cannot leak out in the event of an accident and that any such cracks and leakages are identified and repaired.

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