NATIONAL NEWS - Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 has returned to service following the completion of recovery activities after an electrical disturbance triggered an automatic shutdown last week.
The incident occurred on 16 October during testing associated with the planned maintenance outage of Unit 2 at the Western Cape power station.
According to Eskom, an electrical disturbance exceeded the predefined tolerance limits of a protection system linked to Unit 1, causing its 400 kV and 24 kV circuit breakers to open automatically.
An investigation found that a conservative protection relay setting contributed to the response. However, Eskom said the protection system operated as designed, safely shutting down the unit and ensuring the continued safe operation of the plant.
In an update issued on Thursday, 22 October, the power utility confirmed that Unit 1 was stable and synchronised to the national electricity grid.
Eskom said the successful restoration reflected the coordinated efforts of the Koeberg teams responsible for the recovery and return-to-service activities.
The utility also confirmed that there was no impact on nuclear safety.
Unit 2 remains offline for its planned maintenance programme. SAnews.gov.za
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