Reactor No. 1 at Kola NPP was last night at 2:36 local time disconnected from the network grid following a defect in transformer number two, reports Rosenergoatom, Russia’s state-own nuclear power company.
The transformer was removed for repairs to identify the defect. The reactor was again connected to the grid at 9:29 Wednesday morning. Kola NPP has issued a statement claiming no safety violations occurred. The radiation background in the area remains unchanged.
This is the third time in less than four months that reactor No. 1 has been disconnected from the grid following failures. On November 1 last year, the reactor was automatically shut down only 23 hours after it was restarted after a period offline. On January 12 the protection system switched off the same reactor, also that after what was said to be a failure in a power transformer.
Reactor No. 1 was commissioned in 1973 and is one of four water-cooled reactors at Kola nuclear power plant. The reactor passed its original planned operation life-time of 30 years in 2003. Its license was then renewed.
