NEWS |
round up
PLANT OPERATION THE MAINTENANCE AND repair work on the turbine side of the EPR reactor at unit 3 of the Olkiluoto NPP has been completed, Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said. Trial operation restarted and 60% power level. corresponding to a production of about 850 MWe.
UPGRADES SOUTH AFRICA’S NATIONAL Nuclear Regulator (NNR) confirmed that power utility Eskom had submitted the safety case in support of its application to extend the operational life of the two 970 MWe pressurised water reactors at the Koeberg NPP beyond the current 40-year licence term.
CANDU ENERGY IS engaged in pre-project design and engineering work with the Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Company Limited (TQNPC), operator of the Qinshan Phase III Nuclear Generating Station located outside of Shanghai in China’s Zhejiang province. This involves two phases and will facilitate a 30-year life-extension of the two Candu reactors at the site.
REGULATION AND LAW THE BOARD OF the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine has discussed and approved a bill restructuring it as the National Nuclear Regulatory Commission, according to its website. The bill says the commission will be established as a government agency regulating nuclear and radiation safety and replacing the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate.
FINLAND’S FENNOVOIMA OY, which was the customer for the construction of the Hanhikivi-1 NPP with Russian participation is preparing for litigation from Rosatom for an advance payment of €799.8m after the Finnish government cancelled the project in the wake of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
THE KOREA INSTITUTE of Nuclear Safety (KINS) signed a $2.32m contract with the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission of Saudi Arabia to provide regulatory support for the 30 kW research reactor designed by INVAP of Argentina that has been under construction since November 2018.
Zaporizhzhia conflict concerns grow
and emergency centre, established regular contact with Ukrainian authorities and closely monitored the situation at those facilities, as well as activities involving radioactive sources and nuclear material in Ukraine. Grossi said IAEA has been in frequent
Above: Military activity near Zaporizhzhia is elevating concerns of a nuclear incident
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has noted that new shelling in the area of the Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia NPP (ZNPP) was further underlining major nuclear safety and security risks at Europe’s largest NPP. Based on the information provided by
Ukraine, IAEA experts noted that systems important for nuclear safety and security had not been affected so far. Nevertheless, renewed shelling at or near the ZNPP was deeply troubling for nuclear safety and security Grossi said.
The latest shelling occurred on the same
day that Grossi briefed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) about the worsening nuclear safety and security situation at ZNPP, emphasising the urgent need for the IAEA to be able to send an expert mission to carry out essential nuclear safety, security and safeguards work there. The IAEA has not been able to visit the ZNPP
since before the conflict began almost half a year ago. Russian forces took control of the NPP on 4 March, but the Ukrainian staff continue to operate the plant. Russia has repeatedly urged IAEA to send a team to assess the situation at ZNPP but Ukraine has refused to facilitate any visit while Russia is in control of the plant. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that a visit of IAEA representatives to ZNPP, agreed in June, had been blocked by the UN security department. In his address to the UNSC – an emergency meeting, which had been requested by Russia – Grossi said IAEA has been actively assessing the situation of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities since the conflict began in February. He noted that the Agency had activated its incident
8 | September 2022 |
www.neimagazine.com
contact with both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to ensure that it has a clear picture of evolving circumstances at the site. He stressed that the situation at Zaporizhzhia, has been deteriorating rapidly to the point of alarm. “Those military actions near such a large nuclear facility could lead to very serious consequences,” he said, expressing grave concern about the situation faced by the Ukrainian operating staff. While there is no immediate threat to nuclear safety as a result of the shelling or other military actions, the situation could change at any moment, he stressed. He asked both sides to cooperate with IAEA and allow a mission to proceed as soon as possible. As such, IAEA must work with the authorities of both countries to obtain access for its experts, he said. Among critical activities, IAEA will be able
to assess the physical damage to the facility, determine whether main and backup safety and security systems are functional, and evaluate working conditions of control room staff. Ukraine’s Sergiy Kyslytsya said the withdrawal
of Russian troops and the return of the station to the legitimate control of Ukraine is the only way to remove the nuclear threat at Zaporizhzhia. He said Russia’s aim was ultimately to disconnect ZNPP from the energy system of Ukraine, and called for Russia “to immediately cease all actions against nuclear facilities and return control over all seized nuclear facilities to the Ukrainian side”. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Guterres
issued a press statement expressing grave concern about the unfolding situation in Zaporizhzhia. He called for all military activities in the immediate vicinity of the plant to cease immediately and not to target its facilities or surroundings. “I urge the withdrawal of any military personnel and equipment from the plant and the avoidance of any further deployment of forces or equipment to the site. The facility must not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, urgent agreement is needed at a technical level on a safe perimeter of demilitarisation to ensure the safety of the area.” He added: “I urge the parties to provide the IAEA mission with immediate, secure and unfettered access to the site.” Meanwhile, shelling of ZNPP and the
operators’ town of Energodar was reported again on 13 and 14 August, resulting in one death and a number of injuries. ■
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49
