Eskom says its Koeberg’s Unit 1 reactor, which tripped on Monday, should be restarted by this weekend.

The reactor tripped after a fault on the electrical breaker to one of the primary coolant pumps.

“There are no nuclear safety concerns,” Eskom said in a statement.

The reactor was shut down by the operators, and the cause was confirmed to be a faulty electrical protection relay, which tripped the primary motor. The unit shutdown and response were straightforward, and no safeguard systems were required to operate, Eskom said.

The National Nuclear Regulator does not need to approve the restart, although the regulator is kept informed of the situation, the findings and the actions being taken.

Koeberg Unit 1 will be returned to service during the weekend.

Photo sourced (Pixabay)