Extending life of Koeberg financially viable for Eskom, but anti-nuclear activists doth protest

Eskom's nuclear power station Koeberg is arguably one of the most reliable among its fleet. With the power utility having to decommission coal plants nearing the end of their lifespan, it makes sense that it wants to keep Koeberg running for another 20 years to ensure it can meet the energy demand.

Koeberg – located along the West Coast in Duynefontein, about 27 kilometres from Cape Town – was first connected to the electricity grid in 1984. It is the only nuclear power station in Africa and accounts for about 3.6% of SA's electricity.

Given the bad reputation nuclear power has had since World War 2, the construction of Koeberg was not without opposition. Koeberg Alert, an activist organisation, was formed in 1983 to oppose the country's nuclear programme. Later known as Koeberg Alert Alliance, the organisation now opposes the further building of reactors at Koeberg and runs other anti-nuclear campaigns.