Hungary Closed Paks Nuclear Reactor After Control Equipment Malfunctions

nsnbc : The National Nuclear Energy Office of Hungary (HAEA) reports that one of four reactors has been shut down after a malfunction in the control equipment. More than half of the country’s electricity is produced in the Soviet – Russian designed Paks Nuclear Power Plant. The reactors were originally designed to operate until 2004 and 2009.

Paks Nuclear Power Plant, Hungary. Photo courtesy Barna Rovács GNU 1.0

Paks Nuclear Power Plant, Hungary. Photo courtesy Barna Rovács GNU 1.0

The National Nuclear Energy Office stated that the malfunction in the control system and the shutdown does not pose any danger and that the security system has been activated. So far, the HAEA didn’t release information on which of the four reactors has been affected or details about the malfunction. The HAEA noted that operations will resume once the error is detected and corrected.

The Hungarian State news agency MTI quoted Anthoy Smith, the director of the nuclear power plant, as saying that the reactor is expected to be re-connected to the grid as early as Friday at noon. With over 50% of Hungary’s electricity produced in the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, the only operating one in Hungary, the pressure to restart the reactor is high; Arguably too high. The Paks NPP is located 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the city of Paks and 100 kilometers from Budapest.

The facility has four Soviet – Russian designed VVER-440 pressurized water reactors. The reactors were originally designed for an output of 440 MWe but have since been upgraded to produce 475 MWe. Two of the reactors went online in 1974 and the other two went online in 1979. Hungary plans to keep the four reactors running until 2032, 2034, 2036, and 2037, respectively.

In 200o the Paks NPP “commissioned” a feasibility study which concluded that the NPP could remain in operation for another 20 years beyond its original 30-year design lifetime. An updated study in 2005 came to the same conclusion. The non-replacable parts were, allegedly, in sufficient condition to remain in operation for another 20 years. In November that year, Hungary’s Parliament passed a resolution with overwhelming bipartisan majority to support the lifetime of the reactors with over 30 years more than they were originally designed for.

CH/L – nsnbc 14.07.2016

Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/07/14/hungary-closed-paks-nuclear-reactor-after-control-equipment-malfunctions/

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