July 05, 2012 11:25
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on Wednesday approved the restart of the aging No. 1 reactor at the Gori nuclear power plant that has been shut down since a blackout months ago.
An official with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said the reactor will resume operation as soon as the ministry has managed to win over opponents.
On Feb. 9, the outside power supply for the reactor was cut off due to a mistake by a worker who was checking facilities, and the cooling system stopped for 12 minutes due to a malfunctioning emergency power generator.
The Gori plant failed to report this to the commission until March 12, and when it did the commission immediately ordered the reactor shut down. It has since carried out a three-month safety inspection.
The No. 1 reactor reached the end of its 30-year lifespan in 2007, but this has been extended until 2017.
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