The Council of Geoscience (CGS) has joined several organizations to congratulate Eskom’s decision to extend Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s license to 2044.
Mosa Mabuza, Chief Executive Officer of the CGS, said “this milestone, marks a significant achievement in South Africa’s journey towards energy security.”
Mabuza said the CGS has conducted Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessments (PSHA) for Eskom, which supported the submission to extend the licence.
He said the PSHA included extensive data collection and site characterization. He said it emerged from this work, that another site with potential is in Duynefontein.
Discomfort and concern about the extention of the licence
But some environmental activists have slated the decision to extend the life of Koeberg as rushed and concerning.
Peter Becker, member of the Koeberg Alert Alliance (KAA) said, “I am concerned about this last minute decision by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), made just one week before the licence for unit one actually expires.
The NNR has been under tremendous pressure to make this decision and we don’t believe that they have had time to properly consider all the submissions from the public.”
The KAA is a group of organisations and individuals concerned about nuclear reactors at Koeberg, and are opposed to the building of further nuclear reactors at Koeberg.
Koeberg Alert was formed in 1983.
KAA also said in a statement” the decision taken by the NNR to extend unit one’s licence for 20 years, has raised significant concerns, particularly in light of the unresolved safety concerns. This begs the question: Does this extension prioritize the so-called “reliable and sustainable energy supply” over the safety of surrounding communities and the environment? As key safety concerns remain, the extension decision underscores the need for transparent oversight by the NNR to ensure that safety is not compromised and the communities of Cape Town are not at risk of an accident at this ageing plant, followed by an ineffective attempt at evacuation.”
In 2017, the Cape Town High Court ruled against the government’s nuclear procurement plan, to add 9,600 MW of nuclear power to the grid.
KAA said both the nuclear deal from 2017 and the rolling 2024 koeberg nuclear station’s life extension application, reveal the importance of transparency, public scrutiny, and careful decision-making in environmental policy making.
The Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) and Earthlife Africa are in Kenya this week, joining other organizations including Eco defense from Russia and Right Livelihoods Awards from Kenya, to oppose the development of new nuclear stations in Africa.
Various residents also expressed dissatisfaction about the NNR’s decision, Dani Nieckau, said “… As if a nuclear power station wasn’t bad enough, now there’s a waste depository in the plan too. A threat to not only Cape Town, but surely underground water.”
Other residents-Marsha Botes, said the date of announcement was a sad day, while Delboy Forsyth, questioned the safety and cleanliness of nuclear energy.
Eskom celebrating
On Sunday, Eskom celebrated Koeberg’s 40 years of safe nuclear operation at its Unit 1 reactor.
Dan Marokane, Eskom’s Group Chief Executive, said the National Occupational Safety Association (NOSA) has recognised Koeberg’s commitment to safety.
“This 40-year milestone is testament
that South Africa has the people with the right knowledge, skills, experience, and capabilities to run a nuclear power station safely. Having successfully obtained the licence to operate for an additional 20 years, Koeberg will play a critical role in reducing carbon emissions and continuing to maintain and build a skilled nuclear workforce” said Marokane.
Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom Group Executive for
Generation, said Koeberg is a key contributor to Eskom’s energy generation mix and stabilising electricity supply in South Africa by providing reliable baseload power.
“It helps increase the energy security of the country and provide critical megawatts to close our national energy supply gap, and it will continue to play a key role as Eskom moves aggressively into delivering a cleaner energy portfolio.”
Eskom said in a statement, “not only is Koeberg still the only operating nuclear power station in Africa, it also boasts the largest turbine generators in the Southern Hemisphere. Koeberg is also surrounded by a 3000-hectare private nature reserve owned by Eskom, containing more than 150 different species of birds and half a dozen small mammal species.”
1 International perspective on nuclear energy
Katy Laffan, Communications Officer, of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on International Day of Clean Energy, back in January, that only two forms of clean energy can currently provide the scale of power needed to keep electricity flowing 24/7, while the world transitions away from fossil fuels.
“Both hydropower and nuclear power offer the non-stop baseload power required for sustainable economic growth and improved human welfare.
Nuclear energy already provides around a quarter of the world’s low-carbon electricity. It offers large amount of reliable, dispatchable power providing stability and resilience to the electrical grid and backing up variable renewables such as solar and wind when sunshine or wind are lacking.”
Laffan said according to a 2022 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA): “Nuclear energy can help make the energy sector’s journey away from unabated fossil fuels faster and more secure.”
Picture: Eskom