LETTER: Extending Koeberg’s life makes sense
Issue is how best to supply an additional 2,500MW of electricity to keep the lights on
Gray Maguire’s latest column read like green propaganda, however well intentioned (“Extending Koeberg’s operating lifespan will be cold comfort to Capetonians (../../columnists/2020-12-01-gray-maguire-extending-koebergs-operating-lifespan-will-be-cold-comfort-to-capetonians/)”, December 1). The issue is how best to supply an additional 2,500MW of electricity to keep the lights on. Maguire suggests this should be done using solar and wind. I didn’t see any calculation of just how many turbines or hectares of solar panels will be needed, or where to put them. Perhaps he’ll do the sums for us.
Koeberg is an excellent facility and extending and adding to it makes sense. For the writer to suggest that it poses a threat to the “health and wellbeing of the population of Cape Town” by citing earthquakes (think Fukushima!) is as unlikely as an asteroid impact. SA needs clean base load capability and this government’s record even in supplying new coal-fired energy is abysmal. Old Man At...
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