There has been a serious incident at the Finnish nuclear power plant in Olkiluoto. The radiation protection authority Säteilyturvakeskus (STUK) announced on Thursday that this led to an automatic shutdown in Block 2 of the nuclear power plant. The disruption was possibly caused by a fault in the reactor water purification system, the authority said in the evening. The situation is stable, the system is safe.
“This is an extraordinary incident”, was what STUK said. However, radiation did not leak into the environment, special protection was not necessary, and iodine tablets did not have to be taken. The employees of the power plant were also not exposed to any radiation. “There is no danger to humans or the environment.” The operator TVO made a similar statement.
Two reactors
The authority for radiation protection and nuclear safety will continue to monitor the situation, said its director general Petteri Tiippana. The plant will only be put back into operation when safety is guaranteed.
Olkiluoto is an island off the west coast of Finland. It is located around 250 kilometers northwest of Helsinki. Two boiling water reactors have been in operation there since 1979, and a third is scheduled to go into operation the year after next. Siemens is involved in the construction of the conventional power plant section.
“No danger to Germany”
The Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) announced in a joint statement that the federal government had been informed via the reporting channels of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). No evidence of increased radioactivity was found in the Federal Republic. “There is no danger to the population in Germany.”
The emergency procedures of the power plant operator and the STUK have been activated, it says in the Communication from the BfS. All security systems reportedly worked perfectly.
Increased radiation values were measured in the main steam line within the reactor building. The radiation situation in the vicinity of the plant is normal.
According to the BfS, the first information provided by STUK shows that the shutdown was triggered by a failure of the filter system for the reactor water. The coolant analysis supports the assumption that there was no fuel element damage.
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