Issues are mounting at the Koeberg nuclear plant as the life extension project gets further and further behind schedule, the exodus of skilled staff continues, the number of disputes between Eskom and the various contractors continues to mount alarmingly and the expiry date of the operating licence draws closer. Against this backdrop, analysts and activists have questioned the R21bn Eskom has provided for the project and are concerned that massive unreported costs overruns pose a substantial financial risk to Eskom and the Treasury.

A collaborative effort was made to compose a detailed report titled Submission on Koeberg Refurbishment which was sent to Treasury in early July 2023 by Lydia Petersen, a member of the Koeberg Alert Alliance and the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI). To-date there has been no direct response or acknowledgment of receipt of the report from Treasury.

The Koeberg nuclear plant is the only nuclear power plant in Africa. Construction began in the 1970s and the plant came online in 1984. It operates under a licence from the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) which expires in July 2024. In 2010 the Eskom Board approved spending R20bn on refurbishing Koeberg to extend its life by 20 years, provided that it received approval from the NNR. That approval has not as yet been given to Eskom by the NNR.

Currently Koeberg provides 3.5% of national nominal generating capacity, although over the past few years it has been plagued by problems. For most of 2022, unit 2 has been offline and the plant has run at half of its nominal capacity.