AfrElec: South Africa’s nuclear regulator extends Koeberg operating licence to 2044

South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has granted a licence for the state-owned power utility Eskom to continue operating Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 for another 20 years.

The Koeberg Unit 1 licence was due to expire on July 21, 2024, but has now been extended until July 21, 2044, allowing for smooth and continuous operation, Eskom said in a press statement on July 15.

Although Koeberg Unit 1 has surpassed its initial 40-year lifespan, it now joins approximately 120 other reactors worldwide that have safely continued operations beyond their life expectancy.

“Together with our business partners, we are proud of the achievement that ensures that Africa’s first and only nuclear power plant can now continue to operate safely into the future,” Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom Group executive for generation, said in the statement.

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