Jacobs has been selected to carry out essential engineering modifications as part of a $1.2bn programme to extend the operating life of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant near Cape Town, South Africa. Koeberg is South Africa’s sole nuclear power plant and generates 5% of the country’s electricity.

The project is in preparation for the installation of six replacement steam generators, each weighing about 380 tons and about 20 metres long, at the two-reactor plant operated by Eskom.

“This project is vital to maintain the pivotal role of nuclear power in South Africa’s energy mix,” said Jacobs energy security and technology senior vice president Karen Wiemelt. “To date, this is the largest single contract for our nuclear team in South Africa, which has successfully completed numerous engineering, procurement and construction projects to support operations at Koeberg over the past 30 years.”

Jacobs will be responsible for construction management related to modifications to the secondary turbine system. The scope of work includes prefabrication of piping, pipe supports and modification, and piping replacement; installation of on-site scaffolding, rigging and lagging; vessel modifications and strengthening; and replacement of forced air cooler units.

Work on replacing the steam generators for the first of Koeberg’s two units is scheduled to start during a planned outage in January 2022, with the overall project taking two years to complete.

The current steam generators have been in service since the plant was connected to the national grid in 1984. Their replacement is an essential part of the plan to extend the operational life of Koeberg by approximately 20 years, from 40 to 60 years.