Following South Africa's request for the IAEA's support for a "stress test" of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant to review its safety, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano and South African Minister of Energy, Dipuo Peters, met on 23 June 2011 at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna to conclude an agreement on the Agency's assistance to the South African National Nuclear Regulator in developing a nuclear risk and safety assessment program that addresses the South African government's specific requirements.
The South African government's safety assessment will evaluate the behaviour of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant when facing a set of challenging situations, including earthquakes, flooding, and other extreme conditions that could in consequence cause a loss of power or cooling. The exercise supports the implementation of the IAEA's international safety standards that protect health and minimize danger to life and property.
In their meeting, the Director General assured Ms. Peters that South Africa is a long-standing and valued signatory of the Convention on Nuclear Safety and he commended South Africa's proactive risk and safety assessment as a further demonstration of the nation's commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities under the Convention.