Cleared: koeberg. Picture: supplied
Researchers have raised safety concerns about the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant in the Western Cape.
Neil Overy, a Research Associate in Environmental Humanities at the University of Cape Town, claims that Eskom was “bankrupt” and shirking its responsibilities by skipping necessary renovations at Koeberg, which may have long-term implications for the power grid.
During an interview on Radio 702, Overy claimed that Eskom was cutting corners to keep the lights on.
"Eskom is skipping a critical power plant upgrade aimed to offset the effects of a core meltdown," said Overy.
Koeberg's generating units have been undergoing continuous maintenance to replace their steam generators, which is important to extending their life by another 20 years.
Eskom finished work on Koeberg's unit one generator in November 2023 and brought the second unit offline for similar repairs in December.
However, Overy claims Koeberg will not receive modifications that meet the most recent international nuclear power plant standards.
Eskom has refuted these claims and states that over the years, various safety upgrades and improvements have been implemented.
“These enhancements have significantly reduced risks and brought the plant's safety standards in line with modern nuclear power facilities,” says Eskom.
Eskom states that, "Some of the key modifications made at Koeberg include the replacement of critical components such as reactor vessel heads, turbine protection systems, and reactivity control rod systems.
“Additionally, upgrades to systems like the radioactivity monitoring system and spent fuel pool cooling have further enhanced safety protocols at the plant.”
“The recent concerns raised by an agency in 2022, were in reference to an IAEA SALTO peer review report,” it said.
Eskom says they’ve addressed the recommendations outlined in the report “promptly”, and have ensured that all issues are resolved.
grecia.mgolombane@inl.co.za
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