AfrElec: Closure of South Africa’s Koeberg NPP unit has cost the economy $6.7bn in 18 months

According to a South African energy expert, the closure of one unit at the country’s sole nuclear power plant (NPP) has cost the economy $6.7bn on top of refurbishment costs.

The Koeberg unit, with capacity to generate 920 MW of electricity, has been out of action since January 2022.

The expert, Clyde Mallinson, Daily Investor wrote on July 20, arrived at the figure using an estimated cost of unserved electricity of $0.56/KWh and the fact that the unit has not been operational for 18 months. The approximation is conservative, the publication further noted, as Cape Town, where the plant is located, uses a cost of unserved electricity of about $5.6/KWh. This would take the cost to Africa’s most developed economy to $67bn.

The plant could help mitigate the deterioration of power utility Eskom’s coal fleet, while other energy experts have warned that Eskom’s grid cannot operate without the stabilising influence of Koeberg.

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