By Neelam Rahim

As South Africa’s power problems intensify, the country’s only nuclear power plant, Koeberg, has frequently been in the news this year – for the wrong reasons. Professor of Physics at the University of Johannesburg, Hartmut Winkler, says South Africa’s nuclear sector has failed the test to extend the Koeberg Nuclear plant life. Its operating licence expires in 2024, and its continued operation depends on critical refurbishments and upgrades.

In a discussion with Radio Islam International, Professor Hartmut Winkler said the plan was very good. But first, they need to get these upgrades done before 2024, when the license expires.

According to Prof Winkler, to get this license, they need to install three new steam generators in each one of the units.

There are two units in Koeberg, and Prof said the plan was to do one unit between January and June. And they were starting the second unit in October into early next year.

However, when the work started in January, the French company tasked with performing this arrived and found that they couldn’t move ahead. This was because the old steam generators were radioactively contaminated.

One unit of Koeberg corresponds roughly to one load shedding stage without six months in total, including over July, when we experienced all the worst load shedding. It contributed to that, and now the entire thing will have to be repeated next year, Prof Alex added.

If Koeberg does not get what needs to be done, this will exacerbate the situation and mean more load shedding.

According to Prof Alex, we have stage 2 load shedding; without Koeberg, it will become stage 4 load shedding.

The life extension of Koeberg is part of the National electricity plan. Koeberg was completed in 1984. They had an initial license of 40 years and have known for a while that it’s reaching the end of its life span.

There is the option not to continue at all, and there are groups in the country arguing for that and simply forgetting about Koeberg altogether. Close it down and instead come up with a different capacity, given that this would have to be completed relatively quickly. The only other alternative is to build wind and solar plants.

Listen to the interview on Radio Islam’s podcast below.