CAPE TOWN, July 16 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) confirmed on Thursday that the country's only nuclear power station had reported three radioactive contamination events over the past two weeks, but no radioactive material was released into the environment.
The incidents occurred on June 30, July 2 and July 7 at the Unit 2 reactor building of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station during maintenance work. The unit, operated by state power utility Eskom, supplies 946 MW of electricity to the national grid.
Local media reports, citing the NNR, said all three incidents were caused by a loss of power to ventilation units serving temporary tents installed inside the reactor building for maintenance activities, leading to "elevated airborne radioactive contamination" within the station.
"It is important to note that the contamination was confined to controlled areas within the reactor building and did not constitute a release of radioactive material to the environment," the NNR was quoted as saying.
Workers who may have been exposed were screened, with the recorded contamination levels resulting in radiation doses lower than those associated with a dental X-ray, according to the regulator.
"There is no indication of any radiological impact on the public or the environment arising from these events," the NNR added.
Located on the West Coast, about 27 km north of Cape Town, the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is currently the only nuclear power station on the African continent.
The station has two pressurized water reactors with a combined net capacity of 1,854 MW, generating about 5 percent of South Africa's electricity.
In November 2025, Eskom announced that the NNR had approved a 20-year licence extension, allowing the unit to continue operating until Nov. 9, 2045. Enditem
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