Koeberg unit quits again — Here is a timeline of its many troubles in 2022
Unit 2 at Eskom’s Koeberg nuclear power station near Cape Town suffered another setback this past weekend, wiping a potential 920MW generating capacity off the grid.
The power utility says the unit tripped from full power during routine testing of a control rod on Saturday morning.
In nuclear power plants, control rods absorb neutrons during the fission process.
They ensure the plant can maintain stable power generation within a unit’s core, preventing out-of-control reactions that could lead to a meltdown in a worst-case scenario.
Eskom reiterated that there were no nuclear safety concerns surrounding the latest incident.
While the utility said the process to return the unit to service was underway, it would not give a specific timeline for its synchronisation back onto the grid.
It would also not provide comment on whether the loss of the unit would contribute significantly to the likelihood of load-shedding in the coming days.
Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is seen from a distance. Editorial credit: Richard van der Spuy / Shutterstock.com
The latest incident follows a series of delays in bringing the unit back onto the grid since it was first taken offline in January 2022 for refuelling and critical maintenance.
The latter forms part of a 20-year life extension of the plant that requires the replacement of both Koeberg units’ steam generators.
But the utility had to adapt its maintenance schedule after its specialist contractor discovered Eskom had not built a containment building required to house the old radioactively-contaminated parts safely.
Although Eskom originally planned to bring the unit back online in time for the coldest winter period, when consumption is high, the return-to-service was repeatedly pushed back due to various technical problems.
Below is a timeline of the issues experienced with Koeberg Unit 2 since the start of the year:
- January 2022 — Taken down for refuelling and maintenance
- March 2022 — Maintenance schedule adjusted after discovering containment building was not completed
- End June 2022 — Original planned date for return to service
- Mid-July 2022 — New date due to defects picked up during commissioning
- End July 2022 — Third revised date after unexpected issues detected in unit’s polar crane
- 5 August 2022 — Unit synchronisation begins, with ramp-up to full capacity expected within ten days
- 19 August 2022 — Unit taken offline due to mechanical problem with control rod
- 3 September 2022 — Unit trips at full capacity during control rod test.
University of Johannesburg physics professor Hartmut Winkler has also pointed out other potential signs of turbulence linked to Koeberg.
The application to the nuclear regulator to extend the plant’s licence was delayed, energy minister Gwede Mantahse controversially dismissed one of the regulator’s board members — an outspoken critic of nuclear power, and Koeberg has lost much of its senior staff in recent months.
Koeberg’s essential continued contribution to a struggling power grid relies on the successful and timeous completion of critical refurbishments and upgrades, which are now only expected to be done by 2023.
Its current operating licence expires in July 2024. If Eskom does not manage to complete this process in time and get the necessary safety approvals, the grid loses nearly 1,940MW of capacity.
That is equivalent to around two stages of load-shedding.
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