Eskom has dismissed fears about the structural integrity and safety of Koeberg nuclear power station after concerns were raised about the containment structure of the plant's unit 2 generator.
Tristen Taylor, a research fellow in environmental ethics at Stellenbosch University, this week raised concern in an opinion piece, saying a “vital monitoring system broke down and a crucial test keeps being delayed.
“The regulator and Eskom are not only flying blind, they’ve cast aside a critical regulatory code and a global convention on nuclear safety,” he said.
The power utility denied it is “flying blind”, saying “all safety-critical systems are fully functional, carefully monitored and continuously improved in line with strict nuclear safety standards”.
Koeberg’s containment buildings, the huge concrete domes designed to prevent any release of radiation in the event of an incident, have undergone rigorous structural assessments, it said. These included:
- Concrete core sampling and mechanical testing, conducted by reputable and independent institutions in line with international nuclear safety standards, confirmed the material properties remain sound and well within safety margins.
- The results of the integrated leak rate test recently concluded on unit 1 further validate the structural integrity of the containment buildings and the data being used.
- The results of various tests and data analyses confirm both containment structures at Koeberg are fit for continued operation for at least the next 20 years. Monitoring systems such as strain gauges and crack detectors continuously track structural behaviour over time, enabling early detection of any anomalies and supporting proactive, preventive maintenance.
- The existing containment monitoring instrumentation was fully refurbished and restored during the 2023 and 2024 maintenance cycles. In 2025 Eskom installed vibrating wire strain gauges and optical fibre sensors to enhance the precision, redundancy and reliability of structural monitoring. These upgrades are part of Eskom’s proactive approach to safety — not a response to any immediate risk.
Eskom said a modification to install new monitoring instruments to enhance monitoring of the containment buildings was planned for the medium to long term, aimed at “continuous improvement and aligned with global best practices”.
Taylor said the National Nuclear Regulator had, in its 2024 licence decision for unit 1, castigated Eskom for a “complete absence of dome data for unit 2”.
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