On 24/1/92, Unit was under start up, reactor power was around 2% F.P. and 6 Nos. H.T. circulating pumps were operating. At 0420 hrs. sudden increase in bleed flow indication (from 400 lpm to 1000 lpm) and H.T. storage tank level hunting was observed. Storage tank level was dropping. PHT pressure control signal was 40 ma constant (feed side) and there was no significant hunting in H.T. pressure. Beetles at moderator room floor alarmed. IX room (1188 el. floor) was full of water vapours. Immediately H.T. system cooling was started. Then only leak could be identified from hose connection of one of the PHT purification filter (3321-FR-20). Same was isolated. 4 boilers were drained to make up H.T. storage tank. R.B. exhaust fan was stopped to reduce the tritium activity release to environment. Shut down cooling system was valved in when H.T. temp. was about 120 deg. C. Meanwhile during the occurrence, Bleed cooler outlet temp. high alarm annunicated, the Emergency core cooling system was actuated, its valves were lined up, and reactor building also bot boxed up. Running primary feed pump tripped causing tripping of operating circulating pumps. ECCS was blocked after isolating the leak and starting of auxiliary feed pump. Storage tank level was maintained to about 26 cm by draining boilers.
Big batteries and EVs to the rescue again as faults with new nuclear plant cause chaos on Nordic grids The Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto was finally connected to the grid last year, at an estimated cost of €11 billion compared to the original budget of €3 billion. That cost blowout forced its developer, the […]
A vast subsea nuclear graveyard planned to hold Britain’s burgeoning piles of radioactive waste is set to become the biggest, longest-lasting and most expensive infrastructure project ever undertaken in the UK. The project [UK's nuclear waste dump] is now predicted to take more than 150yrs to complete with lifetime costs of £66bn in today’s money...The […]
Last year, the Dutch Province of Limburg started an alliance in which, besides the local government, research institutes, small nuclear reactor (SMR) developers, utilities, industrial customers and funders cooperated. With this "Limburg SMR alliance" Limburg tried to lead the way towards an SMR in Limburg. The preferred site for a first SMR would be Chemelot, […]
From the IPFM: During a visit to the Civaux nuclear power plant on 18 March 2024, France's Minister of the Armed Forces unveiled a plan to use the plant to produce tritium for the French nuclear weapons program. Civaux is a civilian power plant that belongs to and is operated by Electricité de France. According […]
An analysis by the Norwegian NGO Bellona of transborder trade operations with the customs code 840130 (irradiated fuel assemblies or fuel elements) show a more than twofold increase of import to EU countries of fresh nuclear fuel in cash terms – from 280 million Euros in 2022 to 686 million Euros in 2023. In physical […]
