Nuclear Regulator confirms Koeberg safety compliance and clarifies upgrade process

South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has reported that the country’s (and Africa’s) only operating nuclear power plant (NPP), at Koeberg near Cape Town, had for the past decade complied consistently with regulations concerning occupational exposure and public doses of radiation. The NNR was created in 1999 and exists to protect people, property and the environment from nuclear damage. It does so through the establishment of regulatory practices and safety standards optimised for South Africa, and through oversight and assurance activities. Koeberg is owned and operated by the country’s national State-owned electricity utility, Eskom. It is composed of two reactors, known simply as Units 1 and 2. Unit 1 entered operation in 1984 and Unit 2 in 1985. Each unit has a net generating capacity of 930 MWe. The NPP’s current licensing term will expire on July 21, 2024.