Eskom under fire for concealed Koeberg report

Eskom has been accused of hiding vital safety information contained in its report to the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) as it seeks permission to extend the lifespan of the Koeberg nuclear plant for another 20 years. 

Though it has made the original report available to the NNR, the state-owned power utility released a heavily redacted version to the public, with parts that contain vital safety information blacked out, say activists. Despite efforts by anti-nuclear activists via the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to force Eskom to release the original report to the public, the power utility is adamant it is not hiding information.

Legislation allows for public participation in processes that have a direct impact on affected people’s lives. But to do so meaningfully and constructively, the public needs all the information pertaining to the process.

Eskom has arguing that the PAIA allows it to redact certain information. “Eskom is not hiding information from the public. The PAIA was applied to redact information from the safety case report based on personal, financial and third-party information contained in the report.”

This week, in response to questions, the power utility said: “Personal information has been redacted in terms of Section 34 (1) of the Act. Financial information was also redacted, as this could cause harm to the commercial and/or financial interests of the public body in terms of Section 42 (3) (b), and third-party information was also redacted in terms of Section 37 (1), as Eskom is bound to maintain the confidentiality owed to third parties.”

The 290-page safety report — prepared in January this year and titled “Time Limited Ageing Analysis” — highlights various components, the degree of defectiveness at the plant and remedial action that should be taken. Parts are heavily redacted as it analyses the suitability of components to operate beyond the designed lifetime and whether they can last another 20 years — the proposed Koeberg lifespan extension. Some components listed that need attention are reactor pressure vessel internals, cables and pressure spray nozzles, which are cracked due to aging. 

Seeking transparent safety details

After their PAIA application was denied, Save Bantamsklip, an anti-nuclear group, is considering turning to the courts to seek relief. Their attorney, Andrew Dorer, is already engaging with Eskom. Dorer wrote to the NNR, requesting Eskom release the unredacted report, but the request was declined. 

The NNR also listed the involvement of third parties and the sensitive security information of the plant as reasons to deny the application. However, the affected communities rubbished this, saying they were concerned about safety and called for transparency.  

“After our PAIA application, which we submitted to the National Nuclear Regulator, was declined, we again last month submitted an internal appeal to Eskom directly, asking them to reconsider their first decision. We want the original unredacted report. We are waiting for their response as, by law, they are allowed 30 days to respond,” said Dorer, adding, “If again we don’t get any joy, we will have to approach the High Court.” 

Koeberg’s lifespan expires next year, and one of the conditions of the NNR to consider its lifespan extension application is a detailed safety report outlining the facility’s current structural defects, wear and tear of components and other mechanical issues, and a plan on how they will be fixed.  

The report reads: “This safety case has been produced in support of the application for long-term operation and demonstrates that the regulatory requirements for the long-term operation are met, and that it is safe to continue operating for an additional 20 years from 2024-2044 (Unit 1) and [from 2024-2045 (Unit 2).

“Several assessments have been conducted to support the long-term operation, and a feasibility study was undertaken to determine the plant modifications necessary for the plant’s life extension. Also, a period safety review was conducted to obtain an overall overview of plant safety and determine safety improvements needed for continued safe operation.

“An assessment of safety aspects of long-term operation was also conducted to review the effectiveness and completeness of Koeberg’s ageing  management programmes, and implement improvements to ensure that equipment ageing was adequately managed.”

According to Lydia Petersen, spokesperson for the Koeberg Alert Alliance (KAA), affected communities cannot take part in Eskom’s public meetings on the proposed lifespan extension of Koeberg, because vital information has been hidden from them.

“After carefully studying Eskom’s safety case and public information document, I found that the safety case is heavily redacted, blackening out actions [that] Eskom must take, [making it an impossibility] to ascertain how safe it would be to extend the lifetime of Koeberg,” she wrote in a KAA newsletter. 

“I wrote to the NNR in February this year, demanding full access to the safety case as without it, it’s impossible to engage in this public participation process meaningfully.”

Rodney Anderson of Save Bantamsklip said their fears regrading the further lifespan extension of Koeberg emanate from the white residue and deposits that have been observed along the cracked walls of the Koeberg structure. He said it is possible that Eskom might have a plan to address these very worrying radioactive leaks, but it is not possible to know, given the heavy redaction in the safety report. 

“This trend of withholding information from the public, specifically where the public is asked for input, has become far too common,” said Brendan Slade of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa). 

Eskom is still waiting to hear from the NNR whether it will be allowed to extend Koeberg’s lifespan for another 20 years. It also could not comment on the allegations of cracks and radioactive leakages.

However, during his weekly national electricity situation updates, electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has said there is ongoing maintenance work at the plant.