News
Publish date: July 15, 2003
News
On July 12th, capacity of the first 30 years old reactor was reduced down to 35% of the normal load due to the spontaneous drop of a control rod. The normal load of the first reactor is 440 MW. The reactor has to be shut down to find out the cause of the incident. On July 14th, on of the two turbogenerators at the third reactor unit stopped due to the vacuum reduction in the turbine condenser. The safety regulations were not violated and radiation level remained normal, RIA Novosti reported. The second reactor unit is under repairs until August 29th. The fourth reactor unit is in operation and connected to the grid, and soon is expected to reach its full capacity at 880MW.
Throughout the past year, our mission at the Bellona Environmental Transparency Center has focused on two key, but intertwined issues—nuclear and radiation safety as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, and the worldwide influence of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, which itself is actively involved in the war and has participated in the occupation of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
At the beginning of the year, reports in the German and Russian press suggested an approximate 70% increase in uranium imports from Russia to Germany in 2024. But does this reflect broader European trends? It does not. Overall, imports of uranium and nuclear fuel from Russia to Western countries actually dropped sharply in 2024. Unlike the situation in Germany, this is already an established trend.
A Lingen, Germany plant could begin producing nuclear fuel in cooperation with a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, which is directly involved in the war in Ukraine and occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution and climate change.