Eskom will later this week and next month conduct two shutdowns at the Koeberg nuclear power plant for pre-emptive maintenance work on one of its cooling systems in a move to avoid power supply problems during the Soccer World Cup. Eskom must ensure reliable electricity supply during the tournament, to be held in less than three months’ time.
The utility said its programme to ensure security of supply during the World Cup included assessment of potential risks at all its power stations. “Risks that are identified are categorised in terms of their significance and the priority to undertake actions to mitigate the risks,” Eskom said.
Eskom said it had identified a possible risk related to the system that takes sea water to transfer heat from structures and components inside the reactor buildings at the Koeberg plant. The planned shutdowns were a measure to mitigate that risk. Eskom said that, as part of its generation production planning, it was implementing short shutdowns to allow its power stations to undergo maintenance or replacement.
Tony Stott, a senior manager at Eskom, yesterday said the shutdowns were not expected to result in shortages of power supplies to the Western Cape. Stott said the first of the two shutdowns would commence on Friday.
Stott said the shutdown was likely to last about seven days. The second shutdown would be conducted next month. Eskom was yet to finalise the date for that, he said.
Stott said that during the course of the shutdowns Eskom would supplement supply from Koeberg with electricity from the company’s other baseload power stations. He said it was unlikely Eskom would be forced to run its two open cycle gas-turbine plants in the Western Cape. The two stations are expensive to run.
