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.
All plant monitoring confirmed that 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.
The removal of 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 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.
The cause of the turbine trip is currently under investigation. Eskom remains committed to transparency and will provide updates as new information becomes available.
About Eskom and Electricity – Energy Transition: Aims to transition towards a more sustainable energy mix by 2030.
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