Last week, Koeberg Nuclear Power Station announced that it had launched a fully operational groundwater desalination plant to provide for the potable water needs of the station. This desalination plant will ease the water constraints on the City of Cape Town, as the plant will now be able to meet its own potable water needs.
According to Velaphi Ntuli, Koeberg Power Station Manager, the launch of the desalination plant forms part of a three-stage plan to address the water crisis the Western Cape is experiencing. The three steps include looking at alternative water supplies, keeping adequate water supplies on-site and reducing the plant’s current water usage.
#InTheNews : @Eskom_SA Ntuli: “The desalination plant is part of Koeberg’s three-pronged water mngt strategy to address the current water shortages in the WCape while ensuring that the plant is able to provide safe & sustainable electricity.” https://t.co/fcDVeHBHZL @ESIAfrica
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) February 18, 2018
Ntuli added that Eskom is making an effort to be a conscious corporate citizen, explaining that the plant has saved 115 000 kiloliters of water since June of 2017. To illustrate that big number in a more realistic fashion means that 10,5kl of water could be distributed to 11 000 homes in the City for an entire month.
Koeberg also saves 22-billion litres of fresh water per annum, as it makes use of its seawater desalination plants to provide the bulk of its water needs. The plants condensers are cooled by means of sea water.
Water plays a vital role in the operation of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, as it helps the plant provide a steady supply of electricity to 50% of the Western Cape. It also provides a further 5,6% of electricity to the rest of the country.
Eskom, however, is not the only major company to take steps to reduce its water usage. Tsogo Sun has announced plans for their own desalination plants to provide its Cape Town hotels with their very own sustainable water. This will protect the hotel chain’s guests from being negatively impacted during their stay.
Day Zero has been moved to May, just over three months away.