Koeberg Nuclear Power Stations Unit 1 was reconnected to the national grid on October 29, returning approximately 930 MW of capacity. This follows the units first scheduled major maintenance outage since the installation of new steam generators.
The reconnection comes after a delay in returning Unit 1 earlier this year. During Eskoms summer outlook briefing in September, the utility said the unit was offline for life-extension work and that its return initially expected in July and then pushed to the end of August was still awaiting final regulatory clearance.
With Unit 2 currently online at 941 MW, once Unit 1 reaches full output, the combined capacity of the two units will exceed 1 860 MW about 5 of Eskoms total generation output. The maintenance programme included comprehensive inspections, safety checks and a statutory 10-year integrated leak rate test confirming the containment structures integrity, Eskom said.