Iran started the construction of a nuclear plant in an earthquake stricken area of Busher 17 Km (11 miles) from Busher in 1975, together with Germany and further finalized by the Russians. Although it is not ready and is not producing energy yet, the nuclear fuel has been loaded into the plant in November 2010, technically making it a nuclear facility. Fears appeared that the old German components (of which 10% are still in use) and the ones delivered by Russia that took over the construction in 1990 can no longer guarantee the nuclear safety.
Problems have already been reported early this year when one of the reactor’s four main cooling pumps originally delivered by Germany was damaged by metal particles improperly cleaned inside that imposed the removal of the fuel core. Russian and Iranian experts are not worried that a disaster similar to the one in Japan could repeat and consider that 1975 components in the Busher plant cannot be compared with 50 years old parts of the Fukushima equipments. Nevertheless, many doubt that Russian designed nuclear plants could resist better than the Japanese ones in case of a serious tremor. Fukushima uses a “Chernobyl type” technology and after the partial melting of the uranium rods in the aftermath of the earthquake, the metallic glasses it used to increase safety were destroyed. Busher uses a totally different technology, more reliable.
In several months time the nuclear plant will be fully functional and the Russian specialists are supposed to leave Iran. Nobody knows if the Iranian engineers are ready to take over and keep the nuclear plant at the needed level of security.
Showing posts with label nuclear power safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nuclear power safety. Show all posts
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Europe is divided on nuclear power safety
The risk of a major nuclear accident in Japan has sparked concern in Europe and forced the authorities to consider strengthening the control of numerous central Europe.
Austrian Environment Minister Berlakovitch Nikolaus, whose country refuses atomic energy, proposed yesterday at a meeting of the EU the development of new safety and resilience tests for nuclear power plants in Europe. He was tempered by representatives of France (which rely on nuclear energy) and Great Britain, who stressed that the circumstances in Japan were exceptional incidents.
Meanwhile, Switzerland has announced that it has suspended the renewal projects of five nuclear plants in anticipation of more stringent safety rules. In Germany, where most people oppose nuclear power, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced, in turn, a moratorium of three months to the law approved in 2010 on plant life extension to 14 years. Other countries however, including Turkey, have announced they will not renounce their plans to continue building nuclear reactors.
Austrian Environment Minister Berlakovitch Nikolaus, whose country refuses atomic energy, proposed yesterday at a meeting of the EU the development of new safety and resilience tests for nuclear power plants in Europe. He was tempered by representatives of France (which rely on nuclear energy) and Great Britain, who stressed that the circumstances in Japan were exceptional incidents.
Meanwhile, Switzerland has announced that it has suspended the renewal projects of five nuclear plants in anticipation of more stringent safety rules. In Germany, where most people oppose nuclear power, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced, in turn, a moratorium of three months to the law approved in 2010 on plant life extension to 14 years. Other countries however, including Turkey, have announced they will not renounce their plans to continue building nuclear reactors.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Germany closes 7 nuclear reactors
Germany will close all seven nuclear reactors that had gone into operation before 1980, and it is currently unclear whether they will be restarted, writes Reuters.
The announcement was made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the several explosions in the last few days in Fukushima at one of the largest nuclear plants in Japan, following a 9-degree earthquake that devastated the country. "Nuclear power stations that have started before 1980 will be stopped during the moratorium" said the German Chancellor on Tuesday.
The announcement was made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the several explosions in the last few days in Fukushima at one of the largest nuclear plants in Japan, following a 9-degree earthquake that devastated the country. "Nuclear power stations that have started before 1980 will be stopped during the moratorium" said the German Chancellor on Tuesday.
The Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said that it is not yet clear whether the plants closed during the moratorium will ever be restarted.
Merkel announced on Monday a three-month provisional mortarium life extension of nuclear plants, while the nuclear accident in Japan has exacerbated the traditional hostility of the German population against atomic energy.
As promised in the campaign of 2009, the Chancellor decided to extend the 12 years average lifetime of the reactors, while environmentalists allied with the Social Democrats have scheduled a decade ago a gradual stop in 2020.
According to the European Nuclear Society, there were 17 active nuclear plants in Germany (as of the end of last year) with an electricity production of 21,500 MW and an annual quantity of electricity delivered of about 150 billion kW.
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