French.china.org.cn | Updated on 25-03-2023
The restart of a damaged nuclear reactor in Sweden scheduled for this Sunday has been affected by further delays, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN) reported on Friday.
The Ringhals 4 reactor was originally due to be reconnected to the energy system last November, following repairs to a pressure vessel last August. The restart date was first pushed back to January 2023, then to February 24, March 19, March 26 and most recently April 1, according to the DN.
When the restart began and the pressure and temperature increased in the reactor, a leak appeared in a valve, a leak admittedly “very small”, but which must be repaired before restarting the reactor, according to this report.
“Security and stability are always the first priority. We will not restart the Ringhals 4 with known faults, even a fault as small as this,” said Anna Collin, Press Officer at Ringhals.
Due to the combined effects of this postponement and the recent cold spell, electricity prices, which have reached record highs over the past year, might remain volatile.
Nuclear energy accounts for approximately 30% of the electricity produced in Sweden, according to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.
Following the shutdown of four reactors between 2017 and 2020, six reactors are currently in service at three sites in the country.
