Safety is the the main concern expressed by members of the public concerning the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station (KNPS) Long-Term Operation (LTO) licence application.
This came to light as South Africa’s nuclear safety watchdog, the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), hosted a media briefing on the status of the LTO licence application.
On May 10, 2021, the NNR received an application from Eskom to operate Koeberg beyond the current licence term of July 21, 2024 for an additional 20 years, to July 21, 2044 for Unit 1 and to November 9, 2045 for Unit 2.
NNR programme manager Peter Bester explained: “The plant life extension process involves replacement, maintenance and/or modifications to major structures systems and components (SSCs) to support safe operation.
Depending on the national licensing framework, LTO may be approved for a period of 20 years beyond the 40-year lifetime. In the US many NPPs are nearing the end of 60 years after doing the 20-year LTO programme.
“In response to Eskom’s decision to pursue LTO, the NNR benchmarked international approaches and standards and established the regulatory framework for LTO.“
According to the regulator, for the foreseeable future only one unit at a time at Koeberg will be available as a full-blown maintenance outage was necessary. It is expected to last around 200 days before Koeberg can move into the next period, if the life extension is granted.
Following the first stage of public consultation, the NNR board resolved that further public debate was required on the application.
The top themes in the public's mind, according to NRR principal specialist for Nuclear Power Plants Ubert Coetzee, are: “Radioactive waste, processing, and transport thereof, inadequate public consultation and process, emergency planning, redacted safety case, load shedding, power supply, grid issues and blackouts, inadequate public notification, ageing infrastructure and corrosion, economics and costing.”
Nuclear civil engineer Hugo Kruger said his main question was around the cost. “Koeberg showed us that you can maintain and upgrade a plant in a relatively short period of time, and if you can do it for nuclear, then you can easily do it for coal, a much simpler technology. What did it actually cost? We don't have updated figures yet and Eskom should communicate them. There is also an interest from the renewable energy industry to always attack nuclear power, because it will open up grid space and that allows them to get into the market. Nuclear v renewable is part of the ‘grid wars’.
The transmission grid is a natural monopoly, so you can expect the regular renewable experts criticising it,” Kruger said.
Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) executive director Francesca de Gasparis, said they remained in strong opposition to the Koeberg 20-year lifetime extension application.
“It is well known that nuclear waste remains radioactive and highly toxic for thousands of years. Koeberg Nuclear has made it difficult for civil society to access the safety case for the life extension. Nuclear energy could put the health and lives of South Africans living in proximity to Koeberg at risk.
“Extending the lifetime of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant now places the financial burdens of loan repayments and decommissioning costs on our current youth and the burden of dealing with radioactive waste on future generations,” said De Gasparis.
The next round of public hearings are scheduled for February 3, 10 and 17, 2024 in Tableview, Atlantis and Athlone. The outcome of the public hearings and completion of the Technical Review Report will inform the recommendation to the board, the NRR said. The NNR board decision on the LTO is expected to be finalised in July 2024.
For more information on how to participate in the public hearings, visit: https://nnr.co.za/public-information/ publichearings/
Cape Times