Name of the Project
Koeberg nuclear power plant steam-generator replacement (SGR) project.

Location
Western Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Eskom.

Project Description
The current steam generators in Unit 1 and Unit 2 at the Koeberg nuclear power station have been in operation since 1984 and 1985 respectively. The aim of the project is to extend the design life of the nuclear power station by 20 years to 2045.

The project involves the replacement of all six steam generators for units 1 and 2.

The SGR project involves the design, manufacture and installation of three steam generators in each of the Koeberg power plant's two operating units, as well as safety analyses and studies to comprehensively demonstrate the plant's design integrity, with no adverse impact on public and worker safety and health or the environment, including the enhancement of nuclear safety.

The new generators will incorporate modern design features for easy maintenance and inspections and improve heat-transfer efficiency, leading to an overall efficiency improvement of Koeberg.

The installation of the generators will be conducted during the scheduled refuelling, inspections and maintenance outages of the two units at Koeberg power station. Eskom is on track and progressing according to plan for installation during the next unit 1 and 2 outages.

The other major components of the life-extension plan include:

• a refuelling water storage tank replacement project, completed in 2019.
• the Unit 2 reactor pressure vessel head replacement, with the installation thereof scheduled for 2022.
• the replacement of feed-train components on the conventional power plant, which is conducted during maintenance outages.
• the ongoing Koeberg safety aspects of long-term operation assessment. The assessment is designed to provide the equipment-ageing management confirmation to enable the Koeberg plant to operate beyond its original life span of 40 years to at least 60 years.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) will hold a new round of public hearings on the issue in February 2024.

The hearings will be conducted only five months before the decision process on whether to extend the operating life of Koeberg by 20 years, which needs to be concluded if the power station is to keep operating after its licence expires on July 24.

Public hearings will take place in Table View on February 3, in Atlantis on February 10 and in Athlone on February 17.

The NNR received an application from Eskom seeking approval to extend the NPP’s operational period beyond the existing licence term of July 21, 2024, in May 2021. The request proposes extending Unit 1's operation to July 21, 2044, and Unit 2 to November 9, 2045.

Outstanding matters to be determined and concluded before the NNR can announce its decision include a public discourse on health, safety and environmental aspects linked to the long-term operation of Koeberg.

Anyone directly affected by the proposed extension of Koeberg's operational life has been encouraged to submit representations in writing or presented in person to the NNR.

Interested parties can access detailed information on the hearings, including the schedule and procedures, on the NNR website.

Meanwhile, on November 15, Eskom reported that it had received permission from the NNR to restart Koeberg Unit 1, but had once again missed an updated target date for grid synchronisation.

“We . . . are resolving some emergent issues on the secondary side of the plant,” Eskom replied to an inquiry by Engineering News, while indicating that the testing period would take about 14 days.

Eskom also told Engineering News that the Unit 2 outage would start only after Unit 1 was back in service.

Unit 1 was taken out of service for an extended maintenance outage on December 10, 2023, with an initial target of resuming production later in June.

The outage scope included the much-delayed replacement of the unit’s three steam generators, which is a prerequisite for Eskom’s application to the NNR for a licence to operate the unit for a further 20 years.

By March, however, Eskom admitted that the June deadline was “no longer achievable”, and indicated that it would only resume production ahead of a similar long-duration outage at Unit 2, which was scheduled to undergo a similar outage in September.

From July onwards, further delays were then confirmed by Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Eskom, leading to concerns that both units might out of service simultaneously, placing even more strain on the grid.

Eskom later outlined November 3 as the date for grid synchronisation, which was later shifted to November 13.

The 14-day testing schedule outlined by Eskom implies that Unit 1 is now expected to return to service later in November, but no date has been confirmed by the utility.

Eskom also provided no update on the separation of the unit 1 and 2 licences, which the utility argues will reflect that Unit 2 came into operation in November 1985, a year-and-a-half later than Unit 1, and that its 40-year licence should thus be extended beyond July 21, 2024.

Securing the licence change request for Unit 2 has been identified as a key priority and risk for the operation of Koeberg for a further 20 years.

Key Contracts, Suppliers, and Consultants
Framatome (main SGR contractor); General Electric (modifications to the balance of plant or secondary turbine system); and Jacobs Engineering (balance of plant hardware changes).

Contact Details for Project Information
Eskom media desk, email mediadesk@eskom.co.za.