The role and future of nuclear-generated electricity in South Africa

SOUTH Africa has been a nuclear power since as far back as 1984 - 1985, when the first unit of the two-unit Koeberg Nuclear Power Station was commissioned. Over the years, nuclear-generated electricity has served the country well, providing a stable and secure supply to the Western Cape for over four decades.

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Nationally, nuclear energy has contributed approximately 5% to 6% of total electricity generation capacity. Importantly, in Koeberg’s nearly 40-year operational history, there has been no major nuclear incident, with the sole exception being the well-documented “bolt incident” nearly 20 years ago. A bolt was inadvertently dropped inside the generator during maintenance. The damage caused by the loose bolt meant that two huge sections of the generator — the rotor and the stator — had to be replaced. Apart from this, Koeberg has operated safely, consistently supplying electricity to the Western Cape, supported by other Eskom assets in the region.

Around 2008, Eskom recognised the looming threat of power shortages and initiated plans to expand nuclear generation. At the time, Eskom's financial position was strong, allowing it to embark on a nuclear expansion programme. Vendors were shortlisted, including Westinghouse (US) and Framatome (France). However, both bids were deemed prohibitively expensive, largely because Eskom planned to procure only one or two units, making economies of scale impossible. Mobilising equipment and infrastructure for such a small number of units, including overseas transport of large components, would have been financially unsustainable. Consequently, the process was shelved.

The initiative was revived in 2010-2011 under President Zuma’s administration. Following the release of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which determined that 9.6 GW of new nuclear capacity was required, preparatory activities began.