Koeberg — South Africa
Nuclear power plant in Western Cape, South Africa. Approximate location -33.6737, 18.4281.
NuclearWestern CapeSouth AfricaCP1pressurized water reactor
Koeberg is a 1,940 MW nuclear power station in Western Cape, South Africa. It is operated by Eskom. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 4.4 million homes (estimated). It ranks #20 of 152 South Africa power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1984, it is around 42 years old — long-established. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 4.2% of South Africa's electricity; the national grid averages 699 gCO₂/kWh (17.8% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000137.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000500139; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
Technically it is described as pressurized water reactor. Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Owner
Operated by Eskom. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 33.7°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 71% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 23/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
South Africa has 1 nuclear power plant in this dataset, together about 1,940 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Ankerlig · Oil · 1,338.3 MW · Western Cape
- Acacia · Gas · 171 MW · Western Cape
- SlimSun Swartland Solar Park · Solar · 5 MW · Western Cape
- Swartland Solar Power Plant · Solar · 13.6 MW · Western Cape
- Darling Wind Farm · Wind · 5.2 MW · Western Cape
- Hopefield · Wind · 66.6 MW · Western Cape
Location
Coordinates -33.6737, 18.4281 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Koeberg?
Koeberg is a 1,940 MW nuclear power plant in Western Cape, South Africa, commissioned in 1984.
Who operates Koeberg?
Koeberg is operated by Eskom.