Plant closures due to non-compliance with environmental regulations should not be confused with imminent plant retirements due to the plant having reached the end of design life. There are a number of Eskom coal plants that will reach end of design life from year 2019. Most of the Eskom plants were designed and constructed for operation for 50 years.

Over and above coal plants reaching end of their 50-year design life, the nuclear plant (Koeberg Power Station) reaches its 40-year end of design life in 2024 and plans are already in place to extend its design life and nuclear safety licence for another 20-years.