Page 3 - Energize April 2022

FROM THE EDITOR:

So, Koeberg’s life extension

by Roger Lilley, Now Media programme will go ahead then?

he International Atomic Energy There are a number of serious concerns about Africa’s only nuclear power plant, one of
Agency (IAEA) has declared the which is the disposal of nuclear waste.
TKoeberg Nuclear power plant (NPP) Just days before the IAEA team arrived, the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute
fit for long-term life extension. (NRWDI) proposed, at a conference hosted by the Nuclear Industry Association of South
This follows an in-depth study by a Africa (NIASA) which took place on 16 and 17 March 2022, that a central interim storage
team of ten nuclear experts who spent the facility (CISF) for high level nuclear waste be constructed at Vaalputs. This proposal caused
last ten days of March 2022 at the facility. great concern for people living in the vicinity. Vaalputs already has a nuclear waste facility,
According to an IAEA report, the experts but that facility is for “short-lived low- and medium-level waste”.
came from Argentina, Belgium, Czech According to the World Nuclear Association, there are three types or levels of nuclear
Republic, France, Hungary, Pakistan, Spain, waste: High-level waste which comprises spent fuel containing 95% of radioactivity;
and Sweden. They were accompanied Intermediate-level waste which comprises used filters and steel components from within
by two IAEA staff members. Together, the reactor, plus some effluents from reprocessing, which contains 4% of radioactivity; and
they reviewed the plant’s preparedness, Low-level waste which comprises lightly contaminated items such as tools and work clothing,
organisation and programmes for safe containing only 1% of radioactivity.
long-term operation. NIASA’s proposal raises many questions: will the overall levels of radiation at Vaalputs
According to Eskom, the IAEA offers increase dramatically if spent nuclear fuel (with 95% radioactivity) was to be deposited here?
a service to its members which looks at Is Vaalputs the best place to store high-level nuclear waste? What is meant by an “interim”
the safety aspects of long-term operation storage facility? Does this proposal mean that South Africa has run out of space for high-
(SALTO), which entails detailed reviews of, level nuclear waste? If so, should the nuclear power plant’s operational life be extended?
amongst others, ageing management of There are other concerns about whether Koeberg’s operational life should be extended
mechanical, electrical and civil systems, by another 20 years too.
structures and components, knowledge Reports in the general media have appeared recently of technicians working at Koeberg
management, as well as human resources. “walking off the job”, complaining about safety issues at the site. The latest embarrassing
Although the team made some event (for Eskom) was surely a technician cutting the “wrong” valve at one of Koeberg’s
suggestions for improvement, it seems generating units.
they were satisfied that the power plant is There have also been numerous delays in the essential replacement of the steam
in good enough condition to be operated generators at the facility. The latest delay means the steam generators will only be replaced
for a further 20 years. Furthermore, in October. This means that Unit 2 will remain offline until the steam generators have been
despite Eskom’s concerns about the replaced. Thereafter, Unit 1 will be shut down so that its steam generators can be replaced.
loss of specially trained personnel at In February 2021, we reported that the concrete of the power plant’s 40 year old
the plant, the team found the NPP staff containment buildings are crumbling due to their exposure to wind, weather and sea air.
“professional, open and receptive to Eskom has refuted suggestions that the plant may pose a health risk to the residents of Cape
suggestions for improvement”. Town and surrounds, saying that it had inspected the containment buildings and that they
While we understand that Eskom were found to be “sufficient” to prevent leakage of radioactivity should a major event at the
wants to keep the Koeberg power plant’s site occur.
1800 MW capacity available to the grid, While that may have been true at the time, when the utility knew that plant was due
the reality is that the full output is rarely to be decommissioned in few years, does it still hold true for a plant which is to remain
available. There often seems to be one operational for the next 20 years?
reason or another for one of the two Since the IAEA has inspected the facility and given Eskom the “green light” to proceed
generating units to be offline. Which with life extension, one must assume that the containment buildings will remain secure.
means that the grid gets about 900 MW Nonetheless, given the concerns surrounding this facility, we wonder if extending Koeberg’s
from this plant at any one time. operational life by a further 20 years is wise and practical.

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