Eskom has confirmed that all required safety tests at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station have been completed in line with international standards, rejecting recent reports that the plant is operating without full oversight. Both containment structures are fit for at least the next 20 years, the utility said.
The containment buildings, designed to prevent the release of radiation in the event of an incident, have undergone extensive concrete sampling and mechanical testing by independent institutions, Eskom said in a statement.
An integrated leak rate test (ILRT) for Unit 1 was completed during the 2025 Outage 127, verifying that the containment remains fully leak-tight under accident conditions. The ILRT for Unit 2 is scheduled for Outage 227, following the 10-year testing cycle required by international nuclear safety standards.
Eskom said this cycle aligns with global practice. Most French nuclear plants operate on the same 10-year interval while the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows risk-based extensions of up to 15 years. There is no data supporting a move to five-year intervals, Eskom added.
According to the utility, containment monitoring systems were refurbished during the 2023 and 2024 maintenance cycles. New vibrating wire strain gauges and optical fibre sensors were added this year to improve precision and redundancy. Additional upgrades are planned over the medium to long term.
