Operators at the Krško (Nek)
nuclear power plant in Slovenia, about 120 kilometers (75 miles)
from Trieste toward the Croatian border in White Carniola, have
located the leak found last Thursday, following which the
reactor's power was first gradually reduced and then shut down
the next day. Nek reported that they have activated all
appropriate procedures so as to ascertain the cause of the leak
and prepare a plan of action. The operation will reportedly take
several weeks, as the fault is located in a pipeline connected
to the primary system that is difficult to reach. In addition to
Nek operators, representatives of the National Nuclear Safety
Authority (NSA) are always present at the plant, assisted by
international experts so that a more detailed analysis of the
cause of the leak can be obtained, as "repairing the damage
without eliminating the cause does not guarantee long-term
nuclear safety," the NSA statement says. Cold shutdown means
that the plant does not produce electricity, so the temperature
and pressure in the primary circuit are significantly reduced to
ensure it works safely.
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