Koeberg Plant Maintenance Works Are 45 Days Behind Schedule

News24 reports that the project to extend the lifespan of Koeberg power station, the only nuclear power plant on the African continent, is running 45 days behind schedule, raising the risk of increased power outages in the winter period.

• The delay to maintenance works means that South Africa will likely have to spend the whole winter without one unit of the Koeberg plant. The unit has a capacity of 920MW, which would allow to reduce load-shedding by one stage.
• Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa confirmed the delay and noted that the unit will not return to service by 23 July as planned before. This pushes back the beginning of works on the other unit, which are now slated to start in November.
• Meanwhile, Ramokgopa said that he gives "the SA public the assurance that I don't foresee us moving to higher stages of load shedding, that is beyond Stage 6. When we get there we will run our peaking stations."
• Eskom is racing to complete the maintenance works by July 2024, when Koeberg power station's current license expires. The electricity utility has applied to the National Nuclear Regulator for an extension.