- South Africa’s Koeberg nuclear power plant, the only nuclear facility in Africa, has received a 20-year operating license extension for unit 1, highlighting its importance in providing reliable, clean energy amidst the country’s power supply challenges.
- Despite nuclear energy contributing only 5% to South Africa’s electricity mix, its stability contrasts with the country’s heavy reliance on aging and unstable coal-fired power plants, which cause frequent load shedding.
- Plans to expand nuclear capacity face opposition from environmental and community activists, as well as financial constraints, necessitating greater education and acceptance of nuclear energy to achieve future energy security.
The operating license of Africa’s one and only nuclear power plant, the Koeberg plant, was set to expire this month. However, with the approval of South Africa’s NNR, Eskom was granted a 20 year license extension to continue operation of unit 1 of the Koeberg plant. Although nuclear energy only provides a small portion of South Africa’s energy mix, the continuation of the power plant is crucial in supporting the country’s over 100 days without load shed. South Africa’s power supply issue stems from its heavy reliance on coal fired power plants. Even with the backing of the Koeberg-1 by Eskom, plans to increase nuclear energy output still face some challenges. The renewal of the Koeberg-1’s license to operate is significant not only because it is the only operating nuclear power plant in Africa, but because nuclear energy provides South Africa with the reliable and clean energy that it needs.
When it comes to clean energy, South Africa may not be taking the gold, as of 2021 about 85% of the country’s electricity was coal generated. Despite their considerable reliance on coal to supply their electrical capacity, South Africa does use clean energy such as nuclear, wind, and solar. Just not nearly as much as they should. Nuclear Energy happens to be the second largest contributor to South Africa’s electrical capacity. The only operational nuclear power plant in all of Africa, the Koeberg nuclear power station, is located about 27km north of Cape Town. The construction of the Koeberg-1 began in 1976 and became operational on April 4, 1984, with Koeberg-2 following right after and commencing operation on July 25, 1985. These two power plants have been in operation for almost 40 years.
The Koeberg-1 operating license was set to expire in July 2024, however South Africa’s main supplier of electricity, Eskom, applied for an extension and was accepted by the National Nuclear Regulator(NNR). The nuclear power plant can now continue generating clean energy for another 20 years. The Koeberg-2 is currently going through evaluation and the decision for a renewal is to be made before November 2025.
Both Koeberg nuclear reactors are pressurized water reactors and produce a total capacity of 1860 MW. These reactors roughly produce only 5% of the total electrical capacity of South Africa. Although small in comparison to the 85% of electrical capacity generated from coal, the 5% represents clean and reliable energy. Unlike the other forms of generating electricity, nuclear energy does not rely on the weather like solar and wind.
The current coal power plants in South Africa are the leading cause of load shedding as they are prone to breakdowns from aging as well as reliant on the unstable coal market. South Africa has been dealing with capacity shortages for nearly 15 years because of the instability of the coal power plants to properly operate. The Koeberg plant does not possess these issues as further emphasized by Eskom’s Chief Nuclear Officer where he stated that “Koeberg has identified and implemented safety improvements through both French and US nuclear experiences, which have reduced the risk to levels that would normally only be achieved by new, modern nuclear power plants” to show that these reactors are safe and reliable unlike the coal powered plants
Although plans to add 2.5 GW of nuclear capacity have been discussed, opposition from environmental activists as well as community activists have deterred the progress of the project. The South African government also has difficulty moving forward with nuclear energy as its funds can only be accessed under certain circumstances. Without proper education and acceptance of nuclear energy, South Africa would continue to face challenges to obtain energy security.
The approval for the Koeberg-1 nuclear power plant to continue operation for another 20 years signifies a crucial step towards addressing South Africa’s energy challenges. While coal fired plants remain dominant, the Koeberg reactors have demonstrated their reliability and contribution to reduce load shedding. While there are plans to increase nuclear energy output, challenges from environmental and community activists, as well as financial constraints, hinder progress. Education and acceptance of nuclear energy are key for South Africa to achieve energy security in the future.
