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In brief

Nuclear Monitor Issue: 
#420
21/10/1994
Article

Accident research FBR Japan

(October 21, 1994) The experimental fast-breeder reactor Joyo scrammed 20 September when its sodium coolant overheated. The cause is still being probed, but pre-liminary indications were that a ground fault in a breaker of the main blower fans may have occured. The reactor was operating at 100 MW when the fans tripped off. Operators began inserting control rods to reduce power to half, but an automatic scram ensued five minutes later when sodium temperature rose from its normal operating level of 375 degrees C to 385 degrees C (the trip set point) and for about six minutes peaking at 408 degrees C. Nucleonics Week, 29 September 1994, page 14

 

The IAEA and US DOE proudly presents: U.S. Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary presented a US$50,000 grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to the IAEA to support women in nuclear science. The first installment will be awarded to a woman from Ghana for her study of nuclear medicine. IAEA Press release, 20 Sept. 1994

 

Minatom and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) have agreed on the scope of work required to complete the Bushehr-1 reactor at Iran. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Atomic Energy for the Russian Federation (Minatom) said he was confi-dent that they can finish the plant within five years. Adraft contract has been written but financial terms are still being negotiated. The Bushehr-1 reactor, a 1,300MW PWR, was under construction by Kraftwerk Union untill in February 1979 the Islamic Revolution ended the work.
Completing the reactors is Teheran's top nuclear priority, but due to western pressure no work has been done since then. Pressure vessels for the units are in Italy awaiting shipment to Iran, but the Italian government refuses to allow the equipment to be delivered. Nucleonics Week, 29 September 1994, page 3

 

From the IAEA General Conference:
- the IAEA secretariat is allowed to restore technical assistance to Israel and initiate a technical assistance program for new autonomous territories by the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Technical assistance to Israel was stopped in 1981 after they bombed the unfinished Tammuz-1 research reactor in Iraq.
- South Africa has been reinstated as the most advanced nuclear nation representing Africa on the Board of Governors. South Africa was a founding member of the IAEA in 1956. Since 1976, following anti-apartheid resolutions passed in de United Nations General Assembly and the UN Security Council, South African cre-dentials were not accepted by the African Group of states at the IAEA. Nucleonics Week, 29 September 1994, page 6

 

Special protest walk Gronau. Right on time, well actually too late, but never mind, we got a leaflet on an action from the German group AKU at Gronau. Gronau is the site of the German URENCO (jointly owned by UK, Netherlands and Germany) enrichment facility. AKU organises already for years a monthly protest walk against the plant. On sunday 6 November will be the 100st Sonntags-spaziergang. Our congratulations, but a pity that it's still necessary. So, join this special protest walk on 6 November: at 14.00hr at the main entrance of the facility. Don't forget it! If you want to send a message, because your not able to visit the protest meeting, the address is: AKU, Siedlerweg 7, 48599 Gronau, FRG