The Sealing cladd of the radioactive source Co-60 used in the chemical reactor factory for the level measurement was detected as failed. Corrective actions initiated identified that the cladd was not sealed due to corrosion effects. As a result the plant was stopped and the operating licence withdrawn for the Co-60 radioactive source up to the clarification of the causes, implementation of the actions considered to be taken and evaluation of the consequences. Further investigations revealed that about half of the radioactive source was mixed up with the urea carbonate inside the cladd and the other half of about 100 mCi spread out inside the chemical reactor. No personnel was injured during the event, and the on-site contamination which was lower than the regulatory limits was removed. However, further investigations are still going on to identify if some off-site impact exists. Preliminary evaluations reveal that the individual and collective population doses were not exceeded even in the worst cases as a result of fertilizer contamination.
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.
