Koeberg’s Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 has been safely taken offline following a turbine trip, Eskom has said.
“Eskom confirms that Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s Unit 1 was safely and within procedure, taken offline just before 1am today following a turbine trip,” the power utility said in a statement on Thursday.
While the turbine trip is under investigation, the utility said it remains committed to transparency and will provide updates as new information becomes available.
It added that plant monitoring confirmed operating conditions remained stable throughout the event.
“Nuclear safety was never compromised, and there was no risk to employees, the public, or the environment. Koeberg’s protection and monitoring systems functioned as designed, ensuring the unit always remained safe.”
Eskom said removing Unit 1’s capacity from the grid poses no risk to the national electricity supply.
“Eskom has sufficient generation capacity available, and the grid remains stable and secure. Koeberg’s Unit 1 was last taken offline for major maintenance, completed in October 2025.
"Since then, the unit has operated reliably, with generation temporarily reduced in August 2026 as a precautionary measure due to seawater intake challenges linked to a sardine influx near the station’s cooling water system. During the same period, increased sardine mortality was reported along the Southwestern and West Coast,” the utility explained.
It said the matter remains the subject of an ongoing inter-agency investigation led by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), and there is currently no evidence linking these incidents to Koeberg Nuclear Power Station's operations.
READ | Govt continues investigations into sardine deaths
-SAnews.gov.za
