IAEA mission concludes review of operational safety of Koeberg nuclear plant life extension

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Thursday that an international team of experts it had sent to South Africa had completed its long term operation (LTO) safety review of the Koeberg nuclear power plant (NPP), near Cape Town. Koeberg is owned and operated by national electricity utility Eskom. The Koeberg NPP had two reactors, the first of which (Unit 1) started commercial operation in 1984, followed by the second (Unit 2) in 1985. Eskom wanted to extend their operational life by another 20 years, to 2045, to give a total operational lifetime of 60 years for both units.