Narora unit-2 is a PHWR type of reactor with a rated capacity of 200 MWe. ON April 15, 2000 it was operating at the MWe. A heavy water (D2O) leak started from the suction flange of a moderator pump. Moderator level in the calandria started falling. Primary Shutdown System (PSS) and Secondary Shutdown System (SSS) were manually actuated to shutdown the reactor. During the process of isolating leak, two plant personnel received radiation due to inhalation of tritium vapours but the exposure were lower than the annual ICRP limits. Calandria box up took place at 88% calandria full tank level as per logic. A total of 7 tons of heavy water leaked out of moderator system and most of it was recovered. During the incident tritium discharges through the gaseous route increased but were within the authorised limit. There was no increase in discharges through the liquid route. The incident has bee rated at level 1 on INES. Justification for Rating: Failure in moderator system in PHWR reactors is a possible initiating event (ref. list of initiators of PHWR, in INES manual, final draft 1999), the event is rated at level 1 on INES.
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.
