Sardine Die-Off Halves Power Output at Koeberg Nuclear Plant

A buildup of dead sardines in the seawater intake area of the Koeberg nuclear power plant forced Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. to halve electricity generation from one of its two units. The facility, located near Cape Town, is the only nuclear power plant in Africa. The utility reported that a cooling pump automatically shut down due to the accumulation of marine material, while the plant's second unit is already offline for scheduled maintenance.

The Government of South Africa Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment stated on August 23 that preliminary results suggest the mass fish mortality along the southwestern and west coasts may be caused by an infection with pilchard herpesvirus. Eskom is working to clear the intake area to restore normal power generation levels.