Plant was in start up after refuelling. Reactor power was 35% when at 21:27 turbine trip occurred which caused reactor to scram. The reason for the turbine trip was low pressure of Electro-Hydraulic (EH) fluid in the EH control system of the turbine-generator. Investigation showed that low pressure of the EH fulid was due to leaking EH fluid dump valve. Seals on all four dump valves were replaced. When "reactor trip" signal was initiated only one reactor trip breaker opened, the second did not react and was declared inoperable. Since only one trip breaker is necessary to trip the reactor, the trip sequence proceeded normally and the reactor was stabilized at "no load" parameters. No violation of breaker A was caused by deteriorated Undervolgate Output Card of the Reactor Solid State Protection System which was replaced. Initiator expected - reactor trip Safety function availability within operational limits and conditions Table II, B1 level 1.
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 […]
The French government has said it is "seriously" studying the option of building a plant to convert and enrich reprocessed uranium to cut its reliance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The only plant in the world that currently converts reprocessed uranium for use in nuclear power plants is in Russia. "The option of […]
