Africa’s only atomic plant bets $1.2 billion on a second life

Bloomberg

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, South Africa’s indebted power utility, started a billion-dollar round of investments in Africa’s oldest and only nuclear power plant before getting permission from safety regulators that the reactor’s lifetime can be extended.
The decision to begin installing new steam generators at the Koeberg plant near
Cape Town underscores state-owned Eskom’s confidence that it will win approval to prolong production of low-emissions nuclear power into the middle of the century. The utility’s plan to continue operating the reactors so close to South Africa’s second-biggest city has drawn the ire of groups concerned about safety.
“Although there is still a lot of work to be done, Eskom is confident that it will be successful in its application to operate Koeberg for an extended period, which is why it is investing in these large component replacements,” the company said in a response to questions.
The move to extend the nuclear plant’s lifespan by two decades has being opposed by activists in Cape Town, even as Eskom battles to keep their power flowing across aging
infrastructure.
The utility warned last year it could struggle to fill electricity demand, even with the steady output of Koeberg, which accounts for 4% of the country’s generating capacity.
Eskom announced last month that the first of six new steam generators produced by France’s Framatome had begun arriving. The machines, weighing 380 tons each, are part of its $1.2 billion plan to keep the 1,800-megawatt plant running beyond 2024.