Three contamination events at Koeberg on June 30, July 2 and July 7 released no radioactive material into the environment, South Africa’s nuclear regulator said.
A power loss to ventilation units during maintenance caused elevated airborne radioactive contamination inside the plant, but the incidents were contained and posed no danger to the public.
Workers who may have been exposed were screened, with recorded contamination below the dose from a dental X-ray; the regulator said the events did not qualify as a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency.
Koeberg, 40 kilometers north of Cape Town, is Africa’s only commercial nuclear plant, has two reactors supplying about 5% of South Africa’s electricity, and recently won 20-year life extensions beyond 2040.
The disclosure comes as South Africa and other African countries push nuclear expansion to meet rising power demand and reduce reliance on unreliable, coal-heavy electricity systems.