With the unit shut down and reactor coolant system (RCS) at 295 deg. F (146 C) and 350 psia (2,413 kPa), plant operators were preapring to place one train of shutdown cooling into service. When they opened the motor-operated suction valve for the "B" low pressure safety injection pump, indicated pressurizer level decreased from 35% to offscale low, and RCS pressure decreased to 100 psia (689 kPa). Operators closed the pump suction valve to terminate the coolant loss, and tripped the operating reactor coolant pumps due to low RCS pressure. Approximately 5,500 gallons (20,818 litres) of coolant flowed from the RCS to the refueling water storage pool. Pressurizer level was restored after operators manually started one of the high pressure safety injection pumps. The licensee declared an ALERT emergency classification due to this event. Justification of the rating: This event was rated as level 2 in accordance with Section IV-3.2.1.3 (a) of the 1998 Draft INES User's Manaul, as an event with an actual initiator of possible frequency and safety function operability within operating limits and conditions.
The Netherlands has agreed to allow Urenco to be used for the British military nuclear program. This clears the way for uranium enriched by Urenco to be used in nuclear weapons. With his decision, Foreign Minister Berendsen (CDA Christen Democrats) is departing from the principle that civilian and military nuclear applications must remain strictly separate. […]
Behnam Raeesian is an internationally recognized visual artist and poster designer from Iran, known for bold political and cultural works. Through exhibitions, workshops, jury roles, and collaborations with cultural institutions worldwide, he has built a strong voice in contemporary political graphic design. His projects confront complex issues such as nuclear risk and technological impact, transforming […]
Everywhere you look, the nuclear industry’s hype machine is in overdrive. Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the UK government all tout small modular reactors as the silver bullet for climate change and energy security. Tech billionaires are hiring nuclear veterans. Wall Street is whispering about “round-the-clock power” for artificial intelligence data centers. For those old enough […]
Kernenergie en veiligheid: A wargame sought to test if a major radiological release that would prompt the evacuation of millions of civilians in South Korea could distract key US allies from assisting and rebuffing an all-out military invasion of Taiwan. The short answer was yes. The game originally presumed that China, wanting to keep the […]
Big batteries and EVs to the rescue again as faults with new nuclear plant cause chaos on Nordic grids The Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto was finally connected to the grid last year, at an estimated cost of €11 billion compared to the original budget of €3 billion. That cost blowout forced its developer, the […]
