On August 5, 20 and 21, unusual high activity up to 2203 Bq/m3 was reported by the Health Physics surveyor in the I-131 plant room during routine air sampling. Investigations revealed that the ventilation of the building was shut down during off-working hours. Due to the closure of exhaust/ventilation system, the negative pressure in I-131 cell was lost and the pressure in the cell became in equilibrium with room pressure, thereby by un-utilized Iodine-131 vapors in the fume hoods diffused and escaped the cell causing spread of radioactivity in the plant room. The Iodine-131 released ws from the left-over of the process. Had it been the total amount of Iodine which is 10 Curies (designed capacity of the plant) the situation would have been more severe.
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.