What hit Koeberg?

STAGE 3: STATION BACK ONLINE BUT WHAT CAUSED 'UNPLANNED' TRIP

- Faizel Patel

Eskom has announced that the newly refurbished unit 2 at Koeberg nuclear power station was brought back online on Sunday evening following problems that contributed to the latest bout of stage 3 load shedding at the weekend.

Koeberg unit 2 went down last week due to a steam leak in its reheat system. This put the national grid under strain, resulting in rolling blackouts.

At the time, Eskom said the unit would be returned to service within 48 hours; however, after a brief return on 5 March, it has taken almost a week for the unit to be brought back online.

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said the issue was resolved using the parastatal's nuclear safety protocols "without compromising safety standards".

Koeberg is a key contributor to Eskom's energy generation mix, stabilising the country's electricity supply by providing reliable baseload power.

Meanwhile, Mokwena said unit 1 is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance, including fuel refuelling and statutory tests, as part of the life extension process.