Page 15 - AfrElec Week 43 2021

AfrElec NUCLEAR AfrElec

SA’s Koeberg NPP trips after a

week of breakdowns

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH Africa is facing renewed electricity as a source of fuel.
blackouts, after the first unit of the Koeberg Eskom has reported that South Africa’s power
nuclear power plant (NPP) near Cape Town grid is under severe strain as a result of these
tripped on October 24. incidents. The company had to switch off power
According to the state-owned power utility in phases, engaging in Stage 2 load-shedding,
Eskom, the trip occurred due to a fault in a feed- after the first round of trips in order to ensure
water pump at the secondary plant. “The plant that South Africa’s power network did not over-
was shut down in accordance with standard load and collapse.
plant operating procedures and all parameters Then following the trip at the Koeberg NPP
are stable,” it said. “There are no nuclear safety on Sunday morning, Eskom said it expected to
concerns on the reactor side of the plant, which have to use emergency reserves “extensively”
is ready to be restarted once the feedwater pump over the next few days to avoid load-shedding,
fault has been resolved.” as a result of the nuclear unit tripping.
Once an investigation into the feedwater Stage 2 load-shedding was due to be sus-
pump fault is concluded, Eskom will return the pended at 05:00 a.m. on Monday, October 25,
unit to service. This is expected to occur next but will resume at 21:00 p.m. on Monday evening
week. and continue until 05:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Addi-
In the meantime, Eskom has resorted to pow- tionally, more Stage 2 load-shedding is planned
ering the country with its reserve open-cycle gas from 21:00 p.m. on Tuesday night to 05:00 a.m.
turbines to keep some power flowing. However, on Wednesday morning.
burning diesel is extremely expensive and not As of late Sunday (October 25), Eskom said
sustainable. its total breakdowns amounted to 15,813 MW
The incident comes in the wake of a number of lost generating capacity, while planned main-
of other power station breakdowns across the tenance took another 4,967 MW of capacity
country over the last week. The past week has off line. These developments have essentially
seen breakdowns and trips occur at the Tutuka, reduced South Africa’s generation capacity by
Kriel, Hendrina, Kusile, Arnot and Kendal ther- half.™
mal power plants (TPPs), which mainly use coal

Morocco’s power output rises 6.9%

MOROCCO MOROCCO’S electricity output rose by 6.9% Meanwhile, DEPF said, Morocco’s electricity
year on year in July and August, reversing the consumption rose by 5.6% year on year in the
significant 6.3% decline registered in the same same period. Electrical energy sales rose 6.4%
period a year earlier, the country’s Department during the same period, thereby reversing the
of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF) said drop of 3.2% reported a year earlier, it added.
in a report. Morocco, which aims to produce almost half
The rise is partly a consequence of the fact of its electricity production through renewable
that the National Office of Electricity and sources by 2030, is due to install its first float-
Drinking Water (ONEE) saw production rise ing solar power plant. The facility, which will
by 11.2% year on year in the same period, the be the first of its kind in Africa, will help the
report said. It also noted a 5.9% year-on-year North African country face climate challenges
rise in production among private-sector com- by expanding to use of renewable energy. It is
panies and a 4.7% increase by renewable energy projected to produce around 644 MWh per year
output. of electric power.™

Week 43 28•October•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P15