Before commissioning after the 1992 outage period cold and hot scram tests were performed. At zero power during the hot scram test some control rods failed fo fully go in or exceeded the specified insertion time. Totally 7 out of 157 control rods failed. However, all of them did not fail at the same time. The electro-mechanical insertion system did function according to specifications at all times. The failing control rods all belong to the 24 hydraulic actuators which had undergone preventive maintenance during the outage. Three of the actuators were replaced and after repeated testing all control rods have met specifications. Probable reason for causing the malfunction of the control rods is insufficient running of the graphite seals in the hydraulic actuators in combination with high surface pressure which relates to the pressure in the reactor tank and operating pressure to the hydraulic actuators for the control rods. At present the unit is in operation at full power.
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 […]
Jan vd Putte quickly changed from dressing as the pied piper at the protest during the IAEA nuclear power conference to warn for the Russian nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom and its role in Ukraine.
