- At approximately 14:00 yesteday, Siren 913—located in the green belt opposite West Coast Village in Sunningdale—was inadvertently activated during routine maintenance.
- The siren emitted a brief alarm tone.
There have a series of concerning incidents at Koeberg over the last year as the plants’ two reactors undergo re-commisioning after a 20 year life extension programme costing in excess of R20 billion.
In March Koeberg Unit 2 tripped. Unit 1 has been down since September last year after one of the isolation/block valves failed its three-monthly routine test. Eskom recently submitted a license change request application to the national nuclear regulator for the construction of a spent fuel cask storage area on the Koeberg nuclear power plant site. Concerns have been raised over the ageing containment buildings which have degraded over the last 40 years. Read more
Eskom would like to assure the public that there is no emergency at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, and no action is required from members of the public. This has no impact on the normal operations of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station.
Siren 913 is one of over 80 sirens that form part of the Public Notification System supporting the Koeberg Nuclear Emergency Plan. Regular testing and maintenance are conducted to ensure that the system remains fully operational and responsive.
Eskom sincerely apologises for any concern or inconvenience caused by this unintentional activation.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
