An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has
completed a review of long term operational safety at the Koeberg
Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in South Africa.
The Pre-SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation) review mission
was requested by the Government of South Africa’s Department of Energy.
Koeberg is South Africa’s only nuclear power plant. It consists of
two units and is operated by the public utility Eskom. Unit 1 went into
commercial operation in 1984 and Unit 2 in 1985. Eskom is planning to
extend operation of the units by 20 years for a total operational
lifetime of 60 years each. The plant is currently carrying out a
Periodic Safety Review to identify safety improvements for the Long Term
Operation (LTO) period.
During the 3-11 September mission, the SALTO team focused on aspects
essential to the safe LTO of both units. SALTO reviews are based on IAEA
safety standards.
The team found staff to be professional, open and receptive to suggestions for improvement.
“We observed that despite many challenges and delays, the plant has
made progress in ageing management activities and preparation for safe
LTO since the first Pre-SALTO mission in 2015,” said team leader Robert
Krivanek, a Senior Nuclear Safety Officer at the IAEA. “The SALTO team
encourages Eskom and the plant management to address findings made by
the SALTO team and to implement all remaining activities for safe LTO.”
The team - comprising 10 international experts from Belgium, Brazil,
the Czech Republic, Japan, France, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA
and two IAEA staff members - identified good performances that will be
shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:
- A water chemistry programme implemented in line with IAEA safety standards, supporting ageing management for safe LTO.
- A surveillance programme to monitor reactor vessel embrittlement
under operation for all relevant plant conditions, including LTO.
- The use of a simulator of mechanical, electrical, chemistry and
radiation protection processes to improve staff performance and plant
safety in these areas.
The team also provided recommendations for further enhancing preparations for LTO safety, including that Eskom should:
- Empower plant management and staff with all necessary mandates
and processes, including adequate resources to achieve safe LTO in a
timely manner.
- Adequately plan and implement impressed current cathodic protection
(ICCP) of the reactor containment, including tests with a mock-up to
further improve corrosion prevention.
- Develop and implement a knowledge management programme.
“We appreciate IAEA support of our plant in ageing management
and preparation for safe LTO,” said Riedewaan Bakardien, Eskom`s Chief
Nuclear Officer. “The LTO of Koeberg NPP up to 2045 is a vital part of
Eskom`s energy planning strategy. The results of this mission will help
us to finalize our activities for safe LTO in alignment with IAEA safety
standards.”
The plant management said it was committed to implementing the
recommendations and requested that the IAEA schedule a SALTO mission to
Koeberg NPP in September 2021.
The team provided a draft report to the plant management at the end
of the mission. The plant management and the South African Nuclear
Regulator (NNR) will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the
draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant management, the
NNR and the Government of South Africa within three months.
Background
General information about SALTO missions can be found on the
IAEA Website.
A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing
strategy and key elements for the safe LTO of nuclear power plants. They
complement
Operational Safety Review Team (OSART)
missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities
essential to operational safety. Neither SALTO nor OSART reviews are
regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for
an exhaustive assessment of a plant's overall safety status.
LTO of nuclear power plants is defined as operation beyond an
established time frame determined by the license term, the original
plant design, relevant standards, or national regulations. As stated in
IAEA safety standards, to maintain a plant’s fitness for service,
consideration should be given to life limiting processes and features of
systems, structures, and components (SSC), as well as to reasonably
practicable safety upgrades to enhance the safety of the plant to a
level approaching that of modern plants.
