Increased number of incidents at nuclear research installations: May/June incident statistics

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In 1997, according to GAN, out of 113 nuclear research installations, only 61 were in operation. 30% of the installations, both those still in operation and those taken out of service, are more than 30 years old, and their service life has expired.

May/June incident statistics
In May this year, there were seven instances of emergency shut-downs at Russian nuclear power plants (NPPs) due to malfunctioning equipment: Two times at Kalinin and Kola NPPs, and one time each at Smolensk, Kursk and Novovoronezh NPPs. One emergency shut-down took place at Kursk NPP as a result of human error.

During operations of nuclear research installations, seven shut-downs were documented:

  • two times at installations AM-1 and BR-10 in Obninsk Physics Energy Institute due to electricity distortion
  • five times due to equipment malfunctions: two times at SM-3 installation in Dimitrovgrad Research Institute for Atomic Reactors; two times at IBR-2 installation in Dubna Joint Institute for Nuclear Research; one time at AM-1 installation in Obninsk Physics Energy Institute

In June this year, six instances of emergency shut-downs at Russian NPPs were registered: five as a result of malfunctioning equipment (Smolensk, Kursk, Balakovo, Novovoronezh and Leningrad NPPs), and one at Leningrad NPP due to human error.

The research reactors suffered two shut-downs in June: one at Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy in Moscow, and one at Dimitrovgrad Research Institute for Atomic Reactors.