Nuclear Safety Concerns Over Eskom Koeberg Plant Licence Extension

The Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) has voiced concerns about Eskom’s plan to extend the operating life of Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 2 by 20 years. The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) is considering the extension despite the fact that the safety data are incomplete and outdated, a situation that experts say breaches South Africa’s nuclear safety regulations.

At the heart of the controversy is Eskom’s Time‑Limited Ageing Analysis (TLAA) report, which predicts Unit 2’s condition using data from Unit 1. Unit 2, however, has not undergone an Integrated Leak Rate Test (ILRT) since 2015—a requirement for making an informed decision on a licence extension. The ILRT is crucial for assessing the structural integrity of the containment building, a key safety barrier.

The TLAA report makes several assumptions, including that the post‑tensioning tendons inside the containment building will not corrode over the next 20 years. In reality, the Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) system intended to prevent corrosion has been delayed and is not yet installed. A 2015 expert panel warned that corrosion of the tendons could cause exponential deterioration and potentially end the containment building’s service life.

SAFCEI’s Executive Director, Francesca de Gasparis, stressed that the TLAA’s assumptions lack supporting evidence. “Eskom is asking South Africans to trust safety data that doesn’t exist,” she said. The organization is urging the NNR to postpone the licence decision until Eskom completes the ICCP installation and conducts a new ILRT, thereby verifying the containment’s actual condition through direct testing and monitoring data.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s 2024 Safety Aspects of Long‑Term Operation (SALTO) mission to South Africa also highlighted the need for a fully functional containment monitoring system for long‑term operation. The NNR’s decision will have significant implications for nuclear safety in South Africa, and SAFCEI is calling on the regulator to prioritize caution and evidence‑based decision‑making. As the NNR evaluates the extension, it is essential to place nuclear safety first and ensure that any decision is grounded in thorough testing and monitoring.