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Europe’s old nuclear reactors might have to be shut down

Old nuclear plants may not survive tests: OECD, Fukushima raised concerns about backup power supply, Montreal Gazette, By Karolin Schaps, Reuters September 14, 2011 LONDON – Nuclear reactors older than 40 years may need to shut down following Europe-wide stress tests as additional safety costs will make them too expensive to run, the head of the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency told Reuters on Wednesday.

“I think there will be a few reactors where decisions are really challenged. In the end it will be a strictly economic decision,” said Ron Cameron in an interview. Europe’s regulators ordered region-wide stress tests on nuclear plants following Japan’s Fukishima crisis, which include testing the impact of an airline crash, an element that was left out in tests carried out in the U.S.

“It is the addition of the aircraft factor that has made the tests much more challenging.”…..

EDF Energy said it will announce its revised start date this autumn.

Fukushima has also thrown up concerns about backup power supply at power plants, the failure of which was the main reason for the contained reactor meltdown in Japan.Additional costs for ensuring emergency power supply is likely to add five to 10 per cent to the construction bill of new nuclear plants, Cameron said….. http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/nuclear+plants+survive+tests+OECD/5400380/story.html#ixzz1Y5AqN8t4

September 15, 2011 - Posted by | EUROPE, safety

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