Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s Unit 1 was safely taken offline just before 13:00 on Thursday following a turbine trip, with Eskom confirming that nuclear safety was never compromised.

The power utility said the unit was removed from service safely and within procedure after the incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“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,” Eskom said in a statement.

The utility said Koeberg’s protection and monitoring systems functioned as designed, ensuring the unit remained safe at all times.

The cause of the turbine trip is currently under investigation, with Eskom committing to provide updates as new information becomes available.

No impact on electricity supply

Eskom said removing Unit 1’s capacity from the grid poses no risk to the national electricity supply, with sufficient generation capacity available to keep the grid stable and secure.

The unit last underwent major maintenance, which was completed in October 2025. Since then, it has operated reliably, according to the utility.

However, in August, generation was temporarily reduced 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 south-western and west coast.

Ongoing investigation

The matter remains the subject of an ongoing inter-agency investigation led by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

Eskom said there is currently no evidence linking the sardine mortality incidents to Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s operations.

The utility has committed to transparency and will provide updates on the turbine trip investigation as information becomes available.

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