The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has approved a 20-year licence extension for Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 2.
The extension ensures that the unit will continue to operate until 9 November 2045.
“The approval marks a significant step in strengthening South Africa’s long-term energy security and reflects Eskom’s commitment to maintaining world-class nuclear safety standards,” Eskom said.
According to Eskom, the unit contributes some 946MW to the grid and has been operating at an Energy Availability of 100% for 241 consecutive days this year.
Critical role
“This consistent performance underscores the station’s critical role in supporting South Africa’s electricity supply.
“The licence extension follows the successful completion of an extensive refurbishment and life-extension programme, which included the replacement of three steam generators, thorough safety inspections, and refuelling activities to ensure the unit’s continued safe and efficient operation,” the power utility said.
Koeberg’s Unit 1 received its long-term operating licence in July 2024 which extended its operating life to July 2044.
“Together, both units are now part of a global cohort of more than 120 nuclear reactors that have safely extended their service beyond the original 40-year design life – affirming Koeberg’s place among the world’s most resilient and well-managed nuclear facilities.
“This achievement supports South Africa’s broader energy planning objectives, including the Integrated Resource Plan [IRP2025], which recognises the role of nuclear energy in delivering low-carbon, cost-effective, and dependable baseload power.
“By extending Koeberg’s lifespan, Eskom avoids the need for immediate large-scale infrastructure replacement, preserves critical nuclear skills, and contributes to reducing carbon emissions,” Eskom said.
Collaborative effort
Eskom Chief Nuclear Officer, Velaphi Ntuli, noted that the granting of the extension is a result of the “hard work, focus and dedication of our highly skilled and competent employees at Koeberg”, together with the support of “colleagues across the company and throughout the nuclear value chain in this country”.
“The rigorous safety assessments and regulatory requirements Eskom had to meet to achieve the long-term operation demonstrate the depth and pipeline of nuclear engineering talent available in South Africa that delivers high-quality jobs.
“We continue to maintain and develop this talent through investing in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics [STEM] education as we look to build new nuclear capacity in the coming years in line with the integrated resource plan recently published,” Ntuli said.
Hard work
The power utility’s Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, highlighted that this is another step in Eskom’s hard work to provide energy security for South Africa through the execution of the Generation Recovery Plan.
“We have ensured that assets the nation has invested in are looked after and continue to serve the country to support socio-economic growth.
“Koeberg and Eskom’s nuclear power expertise will play a key role as we move aggressively into delivering a cleaner energy portfolio and moving from high carbon to low-carbon sources of electricity generation.
“With Koeberg providing more vital baseload power it further forms the backbone for renewable energy growth and integration into the grid to maintain grid stability and supply,” Marokane said.
