Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has called for the prioritization of the Koeberg nuclear power station refurbishment project as fears grown that both units will be out of service later this year.

A situation that would deepen the energy crisis. Koeberg plays an essential role in the energy supply of the province. The power station supplies nearly to 2000 megawatts to the grid. That is two stages of load shedding.

Winde says the Electricity Minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa should do all he can to establish what exactly is holding up the refurbishment, and what could be done to expedite the work.

Speaking to Radio 786 nuclear physicist and chairman of Stratek Global Dr Kelvin Kemm noted that issues confronting Koeberg are not technical but contractual. He says that the French company, Framatome is trying to get money out of Eskom.

He alleges that the company is forever coming up with financial claims. The company designed the two pressurised water reactors at Koeberg. It also has a 51% shareholding stake in the South African company which performs upgrade and maintenance projects at the plant.

Koeberg needs to complete the refurbishments before the July 2024 deadline. This is when it will be decided whether the plant’s lifespan can be extended for another 20 years.