Four separate incidents of radioactive air pollution were recorded at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant in South Africa during scheduled maintenance between June 30 and July 16, 2026.
According to an official statement from state-owned energy company Eskom and the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), the incidents occurred in Unit 2 due to technical failures in portable ventilation systems - a disconnected plug and a burnt power cable. This resulted in the release of microscopic radioactive particles (oxide dust) into the enclosed work area during automated testing of the steam generators.
Although initial unofficial reports in local media such as Rapport claimed that around 150 employees were at risk and had taken iodine tablets, Eskom categorically denied these figures during a joint press conference on 19 July 2026. Chief Nuclear Officer Velapi Ntuli specified that in the most serious incident on 2 July, 31 workers were affected, with 20 of them reporting zero exposure and the rest receiving a minimal dose of just 2 microsieverts. For comparison, Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa stressed that this is significantly less than the radiation exposure from a routine dental x-ray (about 100 microsieverts).
The event is classified as Level 0 (no safety significance) on the International Nuclear and Radiation Event Scale (INES). Authorities assure that automatic protection systems were activated immediately, and no radiation leakage into the environment was reported outside the plant's containment zone. South Africa plans to continue its nuclear expansion program until 2042 to stabilize its energy grid.