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'Human Error' Behind Failure Of Generator
Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin says “human error” caused the failure of Koeberg's Unit 1 generator last year, which contributed to ongoing power failures in the Western Cape.
The incident led to public interest being aroused when a bolt was found at the site of the failed generator, which later led to controversy after elements of the media construed remarks made by Mr Erwin following the discovery of the bolt to suggest sabotage.
Explaining the context, Mr Erwin today said that when the faulty generator was opened up a bolt was found in it which should not have been there, as it was of a type used outside and not inside the generator.
This was despite the “clean conditions controls” exercised at the nuclear power station.
“This was a very obvious cause of concern,” he said, adding that an investigation was then called for, which then found at an early stage “the existence of some discontent on the part of certain employees who were involved in the refuelling operation” at the reactor.
And immediately prior to a major outage on February 27 there were a number of “unauthorised communications from Eskom employees to outside parties”. These two factors created prima facie information that could have provided a motive to deliberately disrupt operations at Koeberg.
Also, a magnetic substance was found at the site.
“All the incidents referred to ocurred outside the nuclear core and there was no impact on the safety of the Koeberg reactor core,” Mr Erwin told MPs in the National Assembly today.
Three investigations then took place: one by the police and the security services including the National Intelligence Agency into the possibility that it was a deliberate act or the result of some form of organised action.
The second investigation was by Eskom itself, the utility responsible for the 21-year-old nuclear power plant. The third probe was performed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which regulates all energy provision in South Africa including electricity.
Ultimately, it has been concluded that the debacle was a result of human negligence, and no evidence of any action by any organised group has been found. Also, no employee of Koeberg was the subject of suspicion, Mr Erwin said.
He added: “I am entirely satisfied that exhaustive investigation has been undertaken into all aspects of the relevant incidents and that every possible lesson we can glean from the event has been extracted and remedies applied where necessary.”
Mr Erwin denied using the word “sabotage” and said: “The common bolt has become a public celebrity and this minister for one has come to regard that self-same bolt with a degree of caution.”
“The cause of the damage to the generator is the question that has caused massive public interest,” said Mr Erwin, adding that “of as much interest has been whether I said that this was an act of sabotage. I did not say this, and all attempts I made to our erudite media to say what I did say merely got me into deeper linguistic difficulties,” said the Public Enterprises minister to bemused MPs.
“So I am finished with bolts.”
A spare rotor for the generator arrived from France on April 4 2006, and after Eskom announced a recovery strategy that involved a strong focus on demand-side management in which people were encouraged to save electricity in the hope that a 400-megawatt saving could be made.
BuaNews
Explaining the context, Mr Erwin today said that when the faulty generator was opened up a bolt was found in it which should not have been there, as it was of a type used outside and not inside the generator.
This was despite the “clean conditions controls” exercised at the nuclear power station.
“This was a very obvious cause of concern,” he said, adding that an investigation was then called for, which then found at an early stage “the existence of some discontent on the part of certain employees who were involved in the refuelling operation” at the reactor.
And immediately prior to a major outage on February 27 there were a number of “unauthorised communications from Eskom employees to outside parties”. These two factors created prima facie information that could have provided a motive to deliberately disrupt operations at Koeberg.
Also, a magnetic substance was found at the site.
“All the incidents referred to ocurred outside the nuclear core and there was no impact on the safety of the Koeberg reactor core,” Mr Erwin told MPs in the National Assembly today.
Three investigations then took place: one by the police and the security services including the National Intelligence Agency into the possibility that it was a deliberate act or the result of some form of organised action.
The second investigation was by Eskom itself, the utility responsible for the 21-year-old nuclear power plant. The third probe was performed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which regulates all energy provision in South Africa including electricity.
Ultimately, it has been concluded that the debacle was a result of human negligence, and no evidence of any action by any organised group has been found. Also, no employee of Koeberg was the subject of suspicion, Mr Erwin said.
He added: “I am entirely satisfied that exhaustive investigation has been undertaken into all aspects of the relevant incidents and that every possible lesson we can glean from the event has been extracted and remedies applied where necessary.”
Mr Erwin denied using the word “sabotage” and said: “The common bolt has become a public celebrity and this minister for one has come to regard that self-same bolt with a degree of caution.”
“The cause of the damage to the generator is the question that has caused massive public interest,” said Mr Erwin, adding that “of as much interest has been whether I said that this was an act of sabotage. I did not say this, and all attempts I made to our erudite media to say what I did say merely got me into deeper linguistic difficulties,” said the Public Enterprises minister to bemused MPs.
“So I am finished with bolts.”
A spare rotor for the generator arrived from France on April 4 2006, and after Eskom announced a recovery strategy that involved a strong focus on demand-side management in which people were encouraged to save electricity in the hope that a 400-megawatt saving could be made.
BuaNews
