Eskom confirmed that Koeberg Unit 1 was safely taken offline shortly before 1 a.m. on Thursday, 27 August 2026, following a turbine trip. All plant monitoring systems showed stable operating conditions throughout the event. Nuclear safety was not compromised, with no risk to employees, the public, or the environment. Koeberg’s protection and monitoring systems functioned as designed.
Key details and context
- Grid impact: Eskom stated that removing Unit 1’s capacity poses no risk to national electricity supply. Sufficient generation capacity remains available, and the grid is stable and secure. There is no indication of load-shedding linked to this event.
- Unit 2 status: Unit 2 has been offline for planned maintenance and testing for several months (since around April 2026) and is expected to return later (reports mention September). Energy expert Chris Yelland noted that this means both units are offline, so the station is fully shut down.
- Recent operational history of Unit 1:
- Last major maintenance was completed in October 2025; the unit operated reliably afterward.
- In August 2026, generation was temporarily reduced (to ~50% around 21 August) as a precaution due to seawater intake challenges from a sardine influx near the cooling water system. Increased sardine mortality was reported along the Southwestern and West Coast. Output was later restored to ~70% by 26 August, shortly before the turbine trip.
- Cause: The cause of the turbine trip is under investigation. Eskom has committed to providing further updates as information becomes available.
Koeberg, located about 27 km north of Cape Town, is Africa’s only commercial nuclear power station. Its two units have a combined capacity of around 1,860 MW (roughly 5% of national supply when both are online). It uses seawater for cooling.
Broader Eskom context (as of late August 2026)
Eskom’s overall generation performance has improved significantly compared with earlier years of severe load-shedding. Year-to-date Energy Availability Factor (EAF) figures earlier in August 2026 were reported in the mid-to-high 60% range (strongest in several years), with reduced unplanned outages and far lower reliance on diesel-fired open-cycle gas turbines. Winter outlooks had projected no load-shedding for the period through end-August 2026.
Other recent Eskom-related items (not involving a full major station shutdown of this nature) include investigations into diesel procurement/governance issues (with findings that diesel was accounted for but some process shortcomings occurred) and ongoing management of ageing coal stations, some of whose decommissioning timelines have been delayed for energy security reasons.
This appears to be the primary recent event matching reports of a “major Eskom power station shut down.” For the latest status on Unit 1 return-to-service or any updates from the investigation, check official Eskom statements or major South African news outlets, as the situation is ongoing as of 29 August 2026.
