The reason given was a blocked filter which crippled a pump in a non-nuclear section of the power station. The company is carrying out an investigation into how the incident took place, a spokesperson said.
The station has been out of commission throughout the summer, after damage was found in the concrete forming the roof of the bunker building of the reactor. According to Engie, the latest stoppage should last no more than 48 hours, and the reactor turned back on by Sunday.
As far as network manager Elia is concerned, the incident will have no effect on energy supplies in the short term. However the 1,000 megawatt output of Doel 4 is of crucial importance at the time of peak energy demand, in January and February, just to keep the lights on across the country.
Engie spokesperson Hellen Smeets played down the breakdown so soon after the reactor came back online. “The generator had been working for several days at full power, and so was exposed to high pressure and high temperatures, something which was not the case during the long closure,” she said. “So it’s not abnormal for problems to emerge soon after it started up again.”
Nuclear Facility dangers abound during severe Earth Changes
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Nuclear-plant-in-Tai...
Nuclear plant in Taiwan catches fire
A loud noise was heard at midnight around the plant as the turbine released steam into the sky during the process, Taipower said. (Representative Photo)
BEIJING: Taiwan has shut down two reactors after a fire broke out at a nuclear power station in southern Taiwan shortly before midnight on Sunday.
The incident has caused no radioactive leak and no personnel have needed to be evacuated, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) said in a statement on its website.
The fire began inside an auxiliary electrical transformer at the Third Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, setting off an alarm at 11:58pm, Taipower said. It was put out by the plant's own firefighters within 17 minutes of its occurance, it said.
A loud noise was heard at midnight around the plant as the turbine released steam into the sky during the process, Taipower said.
Taipower said preliminary investigations suggest that it will take two weeks to get the second reactor operational again. The transformer, which was one of a number of devices supplying electricity to the plant, has been damaged due to short circuit.
The accident is expected to affect China's ambitious plans that include launching eight new nuclear power plants this year besides granting approvals for another set of six new plants. The government aims to build capabilities for producing 30,000 megawatts by 2020.
Chinese nuclear experts have argued that the country has the best safety standards in place after the government recently lifted the ban on new plants, which was imposed after Japan's Fukushima accident in 2011.
Giving details of the accident, Taipower said that another reactor in the affected plant, the No. 1 reactor is unaffected.
The second reactor, which has a electricity generating capacity of 951 megawatts, has been in operation since May 1985.
Taiwan has three nuclear power plants in operation and another one under construction. There has been much public debate about whether the island should become a nuclear power-free society, particularly in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
The incident has caused no radioactive leak and no personnel have needed to be evacuated, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) said in a statement on its website.
The fire began inside an auxiliary electrical transformer at the Third Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, setting off an alarm at 11:58pm, Taipower said. It was put out by the plant's own firefighters within 17 minutes of its occurance, it said.
A loud noise was heard at midnight around the plant as the turbine released steam into the sky during the process, Taipower said.
Taipower said preliminary investigations suggest that it will take two weeks to get the second reactor operational again. The transformer, which was one of a number of devices supplying electricity to the plant, has been damaged due to short circuit.
The accident is expected to affect China's ambitious plans that include launching eight new nuclear power plants this year besides granting approvals for another set of six new plants. The government aims to build capabilities for producing 30,000 megawatts by 2020.
Chinese nuclear experts have argued that the country has the best safety standards in place after the government recently lifted the ban on new plants, which was imposed after Japan's Fukushima accident in 2011.
Giving details of the accident, Taipower said that another reactor in the affected plant, the No. 1 reactor is unaffected.
The second reactor, which has a electricity generating capacity of 951 megawatts, has been in operation since May 1985.
Taiwan has three nuclear power plants in operation and another one under construction. There has been much public debate about whether the island should become a nuclear power-free society, particularly in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
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Egypt nuclear reactor in Cairo to begin June 21st and is already having problems, leaking radiocative materials. Employees were forbidden to speak of the problems the facility is having. It's a go.......... to open.views
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Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on July 16, 2019 at 6:45am
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https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article232683887....
Small explosion and fire at Columbia nuclear plant bring more federal scrutiny
July 15, 2019 04:58 PMWestinghouse Nuclear has sparked concerns recently among neighbors about spills and leaks near its Columbia plant. The company makes atomic fuel for nuclear power plants across the country.A nuclear fuel factory with a history of safety and pollution troubles near Columbia is under federal scrutiny after a fire erupted last week in a drum containing radioactive material.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans an inspection later this month at the Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel plant on Bluff Road to learn more about the incident, which occurred early Friday.
A federal report shows that a lid blew off the drum, dispersing some contents from the barrel and leading to the fire. The drum contained contaminated mop heads, filters, rags and laboratory waste that smoldered, before paper in the drum ignited, the report shows.
Several ounces of uranium 235, a radioactive heavy metal, were in the container, the report says
“About 2 in the morning, (plant personnel) heard a loud noise and discovered the lid from the drum had blown off and smoke was issuing from the drum,’’ NRC spokesman Joey Ledford said. “They called the fire brigade out.’
Inhaling or ingesting high concentrations of uranium can cause bone, lung and liver cancer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report says no one was injured and the public was in no danger, but the incident is the latest in a series of troubles that have plagued the nuclear fuel factory southeast of Columbia.
Tom Clements, a nuclear watchdog from Columbia, said the problems at the Westinghouse plant are worrisome.
“They just can’t get their operations straight where there are no problems,’’ Clements said. “It remains a concern that management of the operation is not as it should be.’’
The Westinghouse plant, established more than 50 years ago, drew public scrutiny and criticism last year following the leak of uranium through a hole in the floor. The public later learned of other leaks at the plant that had not been reported by Westinghouse to state or federal authorities, prompting intense criticism by neighbors who said they had been kept in the dark. Groundwater beneath the plant is contaminated and many people worry that it will spread off the site.
Three years ago, the NRC launched a major investigation of the plant, after learning that hazardous amounts of uranium had built up in an air scrubber. The amount of uranium found in the air pollution device was three times higher than the federal safety standard, raising concerns about whether workers could have been exposed. No one was injured, but some workers were laid off temporarily while part of the plant was shut down during the investigation. Problems with air pollution scrubbers dated back 10 years, federal officials said.
Westinghouse officials have pledged to improve operations at the plant and have said they are committed to keeping the public better informed.
The company said it has launched a detailed investigation of why the incident occurred and “has taken actions’’ to prevent future problems like the fire. Among the efforts underway are improving controls to make sure some materials are not mixed together. The company also is looking at adding vents to relieve pressure inside the drums and monitoring for heat build-ups.
“On Friday, June 12, a drum holding uranium-containing materials used in our operations, including mops, rags, laboratory waste and a small amount of paper, had a chemical reaction and ignited,’’ the company said in a statement Monday. “The materials had been packaged for uranium recovery and incineration. The fire was quickly extinguished by plant personnel, with no impact on people, the environment or the plant. The safety of our employees and community is our highest priority. Air samples taken within the area confirmed no impact to plant personnel, the public or the environment.
Meanwhile, the NRC report said no problems were found with other drums in the area where the fire occurred. The incident occurred in an area of the plant where uranium is recovered and recycled.
The Westinghouse plant is one of the Columbia area’s major employers, with about 1,000 workers. The 550,000-square-foot facility manufactures nuclear fuel pellets for use in commercial atomic power plants. The factory was established in 1969 in a rural area of eastern Richland County between Interstate 77 and Congaree National Park.
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https://trinikid.com/cracks-have-been-found-on-a-nuclear-reactor-in...
Cracks Have Been Found On A Nuclear Reactor In Scotland That May Lead To Evacuations Of Major Cities
Fans of Chernobyl know that nuclear incidents are serious business and it seems that we are doomed to remake our past mistakes.
June 8, 2019
Exactly one month after the premiere of the hit HBO miniseries Chernobyl news of cracks to a nuclear reactor at the Hunterston B nuclear power plant near Ardrossan, Scotland are flooding the internet.
Scotland is home to two of Europe's oldest nuclear reactors, one of these is the Hunterston B nuclear power plant at 43 years old. Both plants are way beyond their operating lifetime and have had their operating life extended on two occasions by the EDF Energy. Both reactors are scheduled to be decommissioned in 2023, but currently, the power plant holds serious safety issues.
Edinburgh Live reports that the reactors have what is known as keyway root-cracking. This is a process where the graphite moderator cores that are housed inside of the reactor develop cracks. These cracks can cause instability within the core which can lead to a major nuclear incident. Persons who have watched the Chernobyl miniseries on HBO would have a very good idea of what can be the potential risk of such an incident.
Two of the lobbyist against restarting the reactor are Dr.Ian Fairlie, an independent
consultant on radioactivity in the environment and Dr. David Toke, Reader in Energy Policy at the University of Aberdeen.
They had this to say:
This is a serious matter because if an untoward incident were to occur – for example an earth tremor, gas excursion, steam surge, sudden outage, or sudden depressurisation, the barrels could become dislodged and/or misaligned.
These events could in turn lead to large emissions of radioactive gases. Further, if hot spots were to occur and if nuclear fuel were to react with the graphite moderator they could lead to explosions inside the reactor core.
In the very worst case the hot graphite core could become exposed to air and ignite leading to radioactive contamination of large areas of central Scotland, including the metropolitan areas of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The last period which saw the operational life of the reactors in the Hunterston B nuclear power plant get a renewal had an operational limit of 350 cracks which inspection has revealed that it is currently exceeding. The EDF is petitioning for this operational limit to be doubled to 700 cracks.
Hopefully, the persons in charge learn from mistakes of the past and don't take any risks when it comes to nuclear reactors.
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https://www.energycentral.com/news/reactor-shut-down-after-electric...
Reactor shut down after electrical cable fails at Plymouth nuclear plant
May 21, 2019
May 21-- May 21--A degraded electric cable led to a manual scram, or shutdown, Friday of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), control-room operators shut down the reactor at 11:03 p.m. when a circulating-water pump lost power.
"The shutdown was uncomplicated," stated Neil Sheehan, NRC Public Affairs. "One of our resident inspectors assigned to Pilgrim on a full-time basis responded to the plant and independently reviewed the operators' handling of the shutdown and equipment performance. He did not identify any immediate safety concerns."
A manual scram was implemented Friday evening when employees of Entergy, which operates the nuclear power plant, received indications that one of the two seawater pumps was not working. Pilgrim has a boiling water reactor which uses seawater for cooling. The water pumps take water from the bay and circulate it through tubes inside the condenser to cool steam produced by the reactor to spin the turbine.
According to Patrick O'Brien, Entergy's Senior Communications Specialist, control-room operators shut down the reactor in accordance with their procedures.
"After a thorough investigation, one of three electrical cables to the seawater pump B was found to be degraded," he said. "A plan was established to fix the issue and the electrical connection was repaired."
According to a scram report filed with the NRC by Entergy, the reactor was at 70 percent core thermal power at the time. The shutdown was initiated when a condenser vacuum began to degrade. According to the report, "all control rods are inserted as designed" and "the plant is in hot shutdown."
The scram report also stated, "This event has no impact on the health and safety of the public or plant personnel. The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified. The licensee will notify the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency."
Decommissioning of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant is scheduled to begin at the end of the month. Entergy would not comment if the reactor would be restarted before that date.
"Safety remains our number-one priority as we continue toward our final shutdown on May 31," O'Brien said
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http://www.spacewar.com/afp/190430102708.wqwzllht.html
Ukraine says radiation levels safe after nuclear plant fire
Kiev, April 30 (AFP) Apr 30, 2019
Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that radiation levels remained safe after a fire broke out at a nuclear power plant, leading to the shutdown of one of the reactors.The fire, which was extinguished within an hour, began late Monday at the Rivne nuclear power station in western Ukraine, around 300 kilometres (190 miles) from Kiev.
It erupted in an electrical transformer, triggering the reactor protection system and "the third reactor was turned off," Ilona Zayets, a spokeswoman for the state nuclear agency Energoatom, told AFP on Tuesday.
"Radiation levels have not risen," she said, adding that no one was hurt as a result of the incident.
She said the causes are being investigated.
The level of seriousness of the incident on the international scale for emergencies at nuclear stations is zero, the nuclear agency said in a statement.
The third reactor remained switched off on Tuesday because the transformer needs to be replaced.
Ukraine currently operates four nuclear power plants with a total of 15 reactors. Rivne power plant has four reactors.
Nuclear power is an important energy source for Ukraine, accounting for around 50 percent of its electricity production.
Ukraine was the scene of the world's worst nuclear disaster when one of the reactors at Chernobyl power station, which is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Kiev, exploded in 1986 during testing.
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http://1057news.com/2019/04/04/15/06/36/hydrogen-fluoride-release-a...
HYDROGEN FLUORIDE RELEASE AT Y-12 PROMPTS PRECAUTIONARY EVACUATION OF EMPLOYEES
Emergency crews at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge responded to an emergency at the plant Thursday morning.
In a statement, officials with CNS Y-12 – which operates the facility for the federal government – say shortly before 8 a.m. sensors detected a possible release of hydrogen fluoride within a processing enclosure in Building 9212. No injuries were reported and, in their statement, officials said, “at this time, there is no offsite impact to the public as a result of the incident.”
Hydrogen fluoride is an acidic chemical used in some of the processes at Y-12. The statement also says, “appropriate precautionary protective actions have been initiated for Y-12 employees who are in the vicinity of the incident and who are not involved in the emergency response.”
On-site monitoring found no detectable levels of the chemical outside of the enclosure and systems in place were working properly to reduce the chemical levels within the enclosure.
All nuclear material was deemed safe and there was no indication of a “malevolent event.”Employees were initially evacuated from the area, but were cleared to return to work for normal operations at around 9:45 am after the emergency was deemed “under control.”
http://1057news.com/2019/04/05/12/15/17/east-tennessee-shaken-by-th...
EAST TENNESSEE SHAKEN BY THREE EARTHQUAKES THURSDAY, RESIDENTS REPORTED HEARING LOUD ‘BOOM’ SOUNDS
Residents in Maryville started calling 911 to report they heard a series of ‘booms’ throughout the day Thursday. The USGS reported that no earthquakes had shown up on their sensors. More and more people called all afternoon saying they were hearing loud boom sounds. Then last night – it was confirmed they were indeed earthquakes. Three quakes over the span of seven hours.
The first was a 2.4 magnitude quake recorded at 12:09 p.m. a little more than a mile west-southwest of Maryville, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Two smaller tremors, each measuring 1.4 magnitude, followed at 4 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.
This is following a series of quakes over the past several months shaking the region. East Tennessean’s are wondering why so many quakes. Scientists are wondering the same thing. Last week a group of scientists deployed more seismic sensors in Alabama and Florida to find out if those quakes are caused by fracking for oil in the area.
Experts say as far as earthquakes go, East Tennessee is on shaky ground.
The region experiences more seismic activity than just about anywhere else in the eastern United States, though a December 4.4 magnitude quake near Decatur was unusually intense for the area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-12_National_Security_Complex
Y-12 National Security Complex
Y-12 Plant, in Oak Ridge TN.The Y-12 National Security Complex is a United States Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration facility located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It was built as part of the Manhattan Project for the purpose of enriching uranium for the first atomic bombs. It is considered the birthplace of the atomic bomb.[1] In the years after World War II, it has been operated as a manufacturing facility for nuclear weapons components and related defense purposes.
Y-12 is managed and operated under contract by Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS), which is composed of member companies Bechtel National, Inc., Leidos, Inc., Orbital ATK, Inc, and SOC LLC, with Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. as a teaming subcontractor.[2] CNS also operates Pantex Plant in Texas
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https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/below-freezing-temps-shut-...
Below-freezing temps shut down Salem nuclear reactor
Below-freezing temperatures early Thursday caused the shutdown of a reactor at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant.
Control-room operators manually shut down the Salem Unit 2 reactor at 3 a.m. after ice accumulated on screens used to filter out debris before water from the Delaware River is pumped into the plants, said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan.
The reactor was still offline as of Thursday afternoon, said PSEG spokesman Joe Delmar. A similar shutdown occurred at the plant in 2010 as a result of slushy ice blocking the 70-foot filter screens. Each reactor has six pumps that move water in and out of the river, and those pumps trip when water isn’t pushed through the filters.
Below-freezing temperatures early Thursday caused the shutdown of a reactor at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant.
Control-room operators manually shut down the Salem Unit 2 reactor at 3 a.m. after ice accumulated on screens used to filter out debris before water from the Delaware River is pumped into the plants, said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan.
The reactor was still offline as of Thursday afternoon, said PSEG spokesman Joe Delmar. A similar shutdown occurred at the plant in 2010 as a result of slushy ice blocking the 70-foot filter screens. Each reactor has six pumps that move water in and out of the river, and those pumps trip when water isn’t pushed through the filters.
Salem Unit 2 is one of three plants operated by PSEG Nuclear at the Artificial Island generating site in Lower Alloways Creek Township. In response to the shutdown, Sheehan said, Salem Unit 1 reduced power to 88 percent.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a Zero Emission Credit program last week f…
Tittel called the current system “antiquated.”
“Here we are on one of the coldest days,” he said, “and they had to stop operating.”
and another:
http://www.the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005514794
Alarm goes off at JAEA nuclear fuel facility
7:37 pm, January 31, 2019
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — An alarm indicating a radioactive leak went off at a nuclear fuel facility in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Wednesday afternoon, but no one was exposed to radiation in the incident, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency said.
No radioactive materials leaked outside of the premises of the JAEA’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories in the village, the government-affiliated institute added.
The alarm went off at a plutonium fuel development laboratory in a radiation-controlled area at the facility around 2:25 p.m. Wednesday, according to the JAEA.
At the time, nine male workers were replacing the bag covering a stainless steel container for powdered mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel, a blend of plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel, and uranium. They were wearing radiation protection suits and half-face masks during the task.Speech
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https://www.aikenstandard.com/news/radiation-contaminated-water-dis...
Radiation-contaminated water discovered at SRS facility, new report states
January 17 2019
Last month, rain leaked through the roof of a Savannah River Site nuclear processing facility, picked up radioactive contamination and then showed up in a so-called "clean area" on the facility's first floor, according to a final incident report filed Wednesday.
The leak and contamination was found Dec. 2, 2018, at H-Canyon, the nation's last up-and-running hardened nuclear chemical separations plant.
No injuries or exposures were mentioned in the report
The contaminated water was removed from the clean area, a warning was posted and additional inspections of the facility were done, according to the incident report. No other contamination was discovered, according to the same information.
The rain made its way into H-Canyon through an "expansion joint" where previous leaks had been observed, according to the incident report. Joints between sections of the building run vertically from the roof to the first floor, according to the report.
"Over time, some of these joints have failed and rainwater migrates into the facility," the report reads.
A plan has been developed to repair the H-Canyon roof, according to the incident report.
H-Canyon – now operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the SRS management and operations contractor – was constructed around 1950 and began operations in 1955.
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, an independent nuclear-safety watchdog, was notified of the leak and contamination on Dec. 3, 2018.
Inquiries made to the U.S. Department of Energy were not immediately returned.
The incident report is available here.
https://orpspublic.doe.gov/orps/reports/displayReport2.asp?crypt=%8...
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https://www.knopnews2.com/content/news/NPPD--503670051.html
Fire extinguished at Nebraska Public Power District's Cooper Nuclear Station
Posted: Sat 7:59 PM, Dec 29, 2018
AUBURN, Neb. According to a news release from Nebraska Public Power District's Corporate Media and Media Services Supervisor Mark Becker, a "notification of an unusual event" was declared at Nebraska Public Power District's Cooper Nuclear Station at 9:04 a.m. Saturday.
Nebraska Public Power District's safety and plant personnel detected a fire within a pipe chase.
The station's fire brigade extinguished the fire at 9:51 a.m.
A second news release provided updated information on the event:
"As of 3:44 p.m. today, Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) exited the emergency classification level called a “notification of an unusual event” (NOUE) at its Cooper Nuclear Station. NPPD initially declared the NOUE at 9:04 a.m. today after discovering a hazardous gas environment in the basement of the plant. While investigating the gas, safety and plant personnel detected a fire within a pipe chase.
The station’s fire brigade extinguished the initial and active fire at 9:51 a.m. but support staff from the plant’s
emergency response organization were brought in to assess damage caused by the fire, provide engineering support, and maintain a fire watch in the area until there was no longer any potential for a fire to restart. The fire was declared out as of 3 p.m., after completion of overhaul activities and assurance that a re-flash would not occur.At no time did plant conditions threaten public safety. The plant remained stable and operating throughout the event
and continues to operate at this time.A NOUE is defined as unusual events, minor in nature, which have occurred or are in progress which indicate a potential degradation in the level of station safety at the station. If placed on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the least serious level of an emergency and 4 being the most serious level of an emergency, a NOUE would equal a 1.
In situations like this, plant personnel follow an emergency response plan and notify appropriate local, county, state, and federal agencies as part of their processes.
Cooper Nuclear Station is located three miles southeast of Brownville near the Missouri River. It is owned and operated by the Nebraska Public Power District, with headquarters in Columbus. More information will be provided as it becomes available."
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http://www.brusselstimes.com/rss-feed/13537/doel-nuclear-reactor-cl...
Doel nuclear reactor closed down one week after starting up again
Saturday, 22 December 2018 11:18
The reactor at the Doel 4 nuclear power plant in the village of Doel, part of the commune of of Beveren in East Flanders, was turned off under controlled conditions on Friday, operator Engie Electrabel said. The switch-off came less than a week after Doel 4 was turned back on again.
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https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article222521475.html
‘Electrical disturbance’ shuts down part of Diablo Canyon
December 02, 2018 11:06 AM
Part of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant shut down Saturday due to an “electrical disturbance,” PG&E said in a news release.
The shutdown happened Saturday morning in Unit 2, officials said. As of Sunday morning, Unit 2 remained shut down as PG&E officials worked to determine the cause of the disturbance, Suzanne Hosn, a PG&E spokeswoman, told The Tribune in a phone interview.
“This is on the non-nuclear side of the plant,” Hosn said. She emphasized that the shutdown poses no risk to the community or to employees.
The unit is “in a safe condition” and will be back in service after the cause is determined and equipment is tested, PG&E said.
PG&E said it has informed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state and local officials of the incident.
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