In a nation accustomed to frequent power outages, South Africa’s state-owned company Eskom has been granted permission to operate the country’s only nuclear power plant for an additional two decades. The regulator’s decision prioritizes the nation’s electricity needs over concerns about the safety of aging nuclear infrastructure.
Situated near Cape Town in the southwestern part of the country, the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is not only South Africa’s sole nuclear facility but also the only one on the African continent. Although several nuclear projects are underway across Africa, the most advanced among them is in Egypt.
The first reactor at Koeberg came online exactly forty years ago. Eskom has now been authorized to continue operating this reactor for another twenty years, while a decision regarding the second reactor is still pending.
For Eskom, this extension is a significant relief. Despite nuclear energy accounting for only 4% of the country’s electricity production, the nearly 2,000 MW capacity of Koeberg’s first reactor will help reduce South Africa’s heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants. These coal plants are notoriously prone to breakdowns, contributing to the daily power outages that plague the country.
This decision has sparked concerns among environmental advocates in South Africa. Two years ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted an inspection of the Koeberg facility. Their report highlighted several measures that need to be implemented to ensure the long-term safe operation of the plant.