Thursday 10 March 2011

Nuclear leaks and fires


And they say these nuclear power stations are safe!

Nuclear Installations: Accidents

Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what (a) coolant leaks and (b) fires have been recorded at each UK nuclear installation in each of the last five years. [45017]
Charles Hendry: The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE/NII) screens incident reports made by licensees to identify those which have had the potential to challenge a nuclear safety system. A search of the raw input data for such screening from January 2005 to the end of December 2010 has been undertaken for details of leaks and fires at nuclear installations.
A 'coolant leak' has been interpreted as being a loss of coolant, including clean coolant, from an item of plant into the working environment of the licensed site. Coolant itself has been interpreted as being water, carbon dioxide or hydrogen on a power station, and water elsewhere.
A 'fire' has been interpreted as being a situation where ignition of material has taken place on the licensed site or instances of smouldering where such ignition could not reasonably be ruled out given the information in the record.
Coolant leaks
DateInstallationIncident
2005
1 JanuaryHeysham 2Steam leak on Turbine Generator 7
5 FebruaryHinkley Point BCarbon dioxide leak from tank
19 FebruaryHinkley Point BCarbon dioxide leak from tank
25 FebruaryTornessCarbon dioxide leak through in-service inspection penetration
15 MarchTornessCarbon dioxide leak from ring main
25 JuneDungeness ACarbon dioxide leak from main CO2 plant
4 JulySellafieldDamp patch discovered adjacent to B30 pond wall
25 JulyOldburySteam leak through thermocouple pocket of Boiler 4 on Reactor 1
4 AugustHinkley Point BCarbon dioxide leak from vaporiser valve
30 OctoberDungeness ACarbon dioxide leak through failed isolation valve to pressure gauge
2006
30 JanuarySellafieldLeak of dosed cooling water from B832 cooling tower
18 FebruarySellafieldLeak of pond water through expansion joint above the stainless steel seal in B310 AGR storage pond
24 MarchHunterston BCarbon dioxide leak in pipe trench
11 SeptemberHinkley point BCarbon dioxide leak from supply pump

8 Mar 2011 : Column 975W
23 SeptemberHartlepoolAlternator hydrogen coolant leak
26 SeptemberHartlepoolFracture of emergency cooling water main
2 OctoberDungeness BAuxiliary cooling water pipe work leak
15 OctoberSizewell ASteam leak from Turbine Alternator 1
18 NovemberHeysham 2Steam leak from Reactor 7
2007
7 JanuarySizewell AFracture of pond recirculating water system pipe work
18 JanuarySellafieldWaste Vitrification Plant electrical inductor cooling water leak
1 MarchHinkley Point BCarbon dioxide leak outside plant room
26 MarchDungeness BCarbon dioxide leak in reactor basement
1 JuneHunterston BLeak from condensate booster pump
2 JuneHeysham 2Leak in low pressure feed heater pipe work
18 JulyDungeness BLeak of tritiated water identified
19 SeptemberHartlepoolLeak of pressure vessel cooling water identified on boiler closure unit
26 SeptemberDungeness BCarbon dioxide leak from storage tank
28 SeptemberHunterston BSteam leaks in high pressure gland pipe work
27 OctoberOldburyCarbon dioxide leak from fuelling machine
2008
19 FebruaryOldburyCarbon dioxide leak from storage tank
20 FebruaryTornessCarbon dioxide leak from gas bypass plant
26 JuneHeysham 2Steam leak in gland steam drain line
26 JulyHeysham 1Carbon dioxide leak from storage tank
7 OctoberWylfaCarbon dioxide leak from storage tank
23 DecemberTornessCarbon dioxide leak from valve in the fuel machine standby CO2 coolant supply.
2009
24 AprilHartlepoolHydrogen leak from Unit 2 alternator frame
26 MayHeysham 1Turbine cooling water leak
28 MayHinkley Point BPressure vessel cooling water leak from Reactor 4 sump
25 JuneHeysham 2Loss of Hydrogen from turbo alternator
8 JulyTornessLeak from spent fuel pond cooling water system
9 DecemberSellafieldFuel pond chiller water leakage
21 DecemberHeysham 1Back up cooling water leak soon after start up
2010
22 JanuarySellafieldLeakage of cooling water to active storage tanks
7 JuneDungeness BGland steam leak after start up
26 OctoberHeysham 1Small water leak from buffer store drain line
8 NovemberHeysham 1Emergency cooling water pipe failure and leak

Fire
DateSiteIncident
2005
4 FebruaryHeysham 1Smouldering lagging on turbine
8 MarchHeysham 2Fire on reactor basement sump pump
22 AprilHarwellCapacitor fire in building 459
22 JuneTornessVariable frequency output transformer fire
30 JuneBarrowPortacabin fire

8 Mar 2011 : Column 976W
14 JulyHeysham 2Fire in bearing of fuel handling plant extract fan
16 SeptemberTornessFire in purge air compressor no. 2
31 OctoberDungeness AFire in bulk group 4 LF power supply
2006
23 JanuarySellafieldSmoking bitumen seal around pipe on Combined Heat and Power Plant turbine
24 MarchDounreayHydrogen ignition during waste cutting operation in Prototype Fast Reactor
21 AprilSpringfieldsUranium shredder fire in building 338
23 OctoberHeysham 2Smouldering leak management tray beside hot turbine reheat pipe work
23 DecemberBurghfieldSmouldering cable in plant room
2007
1 FebruaryHinkley Point BFire in bund of gas circulator lube system
2 JuneHunterston BBearing fire on turbo generator 7
12 AugustHeysham 2Bearing fire in cooling water pump
2008
7 JanuaryDounreayFire in office suite of D1208
13 MarchGE HealthcareFire in inactive recycling plant
15 JuneRolls Royce ManufacturingFire in glove box
2 DecemberHartlepoolAerosol can fire
3 DecemberTrawsfynyddconvector heater fire in ponds office
2009
12 MarchHeysham 1Lagging smoke/fire
15 MarchGE HealthcareFire in services spine duct
31 MarchBarrowFire on the casing of Astute Boat 2 during welding/grinding operations
18 AprilBarrowFire on the bridge fin of Astute Boat I
29 AprilOldburySmoking air circuit breaker
18 MayWylfaFire in Turbine alternator
22 JulySellafieldExtract fan bearing fire
23NovemberDungeness BBoiler annex hydraulic fluid caught fire
2010
28 MayDounreaySmall in cell fire of sodium residues
2 JulySizewell BFire in ductwork in heating and ventilation building
4 JulyAldermastonSolvent fire minor bums to one person
2 AugustOldburyLagging fire near turbo alternator
22 SeptemberSizewell BCondensate pump fire
30 SeptemberWylfaSmouldering electrical contactor in Turbine Hall
25 OctoberHinkley Point BFire in circulator workshop
8 DecemberHeysham 2Bearing failure causing smoke in services building