South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) announced Thursday that three separate internal "contamination" events at the Koeberg Power Station did not result in any radiation leaks into the environment. The incidents, which occurred on June 30, July 2, and July 7, involved "elevated airborne radioactive contamination" within the facility due to a loss of power to ventilation units during maintenance.
The NNR stated that the events were contained within the power station, located about 25 miles north of Cape Town. Workers potentially exposed during these incidents were screened and found to have radioactive contamination below levels associated with a dental X-ray. The regulator clarified that these events did not meet the criteria for classification as a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency, and there were no off-site radiological consequences, posing no danger to the public.
Koeberg Power Station is the only commercial nuclear power station in Africa. Commissioned in the 1980s, it houses two reactors that supply approximately 5% of South Africa's electricity and is operated by the national electricity company, Eskom. The plant's reactors recently received 20-year life extensions, allowing them to operate until after 2040.
South Africa is exploring expanding its nuclear power capabilities to supplement an unreliable and polluting energy supply, which is heavily reliant on coal. Globally, other nations are also increasing their focus on nuclear power to meet rising energy demands, despite lingering safety concerns stemming from past incidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Egypt, for instance, is constructing its first nuclear power station with Russian assistance, aiming for operational status around 2030.