NPP Vandellós

Two power units are a part of the NPP: with a 1st power of 508 MW (grafito-gas) and with a 2nd power of 1080 MW (water-to-water). Block 1 was closed on July 31, 1990 owing to the fire which took place in October, 1989.

Construction

Block 1 — only in Spain with the grafito-gas reactor, the French UNGG. The Commissariat of nuclear power became the supplier of YaPPU. Electric power is about 500 MW. YaPPU had integrated configuration, a fissile region, gas blowers for pumping of the heat carrier and steam generators were in the uniform amount of the body of the reactor from preliminary and intense steel concrete.

Block 2 is equipped with the three-loopback pressurized water reactor (Westinghouse 3-loop PWR) Westinghouse companies. Delivered to Turbin also Westinghouse, in 1999 it underwent the most serious upgrade executed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries therefore the electric power of the power unit grew since about 1000 to 1080 MW.

History

1989: The fire in block 1

In turbine department on October 19, 1989 there was a serious fire later estimated on a scale of INES as "a serious incident" (the 3rd level), radioactive emissions in the environment at the same time were absent. An incident began with destruction of one of turbine blades that led to its strongest vibration, ignition of the turbine oil and hydrogen cooling the turbine generator. Fire quickly spread on cable passings, destroying electrocables and industrial networks of both the systems of normal operation, and the abnormal systems (played a role in it unreasoned trace of cables of the different systems which are physically not separated among themselves) that caused numerous failures of the different equipment important for security, and made impossible remote control of the systems of withdrawal of afterheat.

Except water from the firefighters who were filling in the machine hall, water in large numbers arrived from the pozharonezashchishchyonny connecting parts of pipelines of the service water cooling the turbine condenser damaged by fire. As a result large volumes of water flooded pumps of abnormal withdrawal of afterheat which were also not physically separated among themselves. Only effective actions taken by personnel of the station for use of the minimum quantity of security protections, saved the reactor from overheating and damage of nuclear fuel.

Incident had a great influence on the designers NPPs around the world who learned numerous lessons from this event that led to review of many questions of fire protection of stations. Also an incident had a serious negative impact on public opinion in Spain in the field of construction of the NPP.

1990: Closing of the first power unit

Consideration of measures for recovery of the damaged equipment and to ensuring the guaranteed level of further safe operation was led to an output about inexpediency of further operation of the power unit. The decision on its closing and step-by-step decommissioning was made. From 1990 to 1997 nuclear fuel was completely unloaded and exported from the station, the graphite laying is deactivated, radioactive waste is processed.

The second stage passed from 1998 to 2003, the majority of constructions of the power unit were deactivated and dismantled. Untouched were only an internal part of the reactor and the base of the block. The cost of works was €94 million. Further works on complete dismantling are going to begin in 30 years when the activity of the equipment decreases to 5% of initial that will make works much more technically simple and cheap.

2004: A leak because of corrosion of pipelines in the second block

On August 25, 2004 on block 2 an incident occurred. As a result of a bad corrosion status of pipelines, in one of two channels of a technical water supply system of responsible consumers (i.e. systems, including the abnormal, not allowing breaks in water supply) there was a serious leak, the channel of a system had to be switched-off. Earned another, identical, the channel, however in case of hypothetical accident it would have no reservation any more. Strict requirements of regulating documents do not allow work in such status therefore the block was stopped. The 2nd level on a scale of INES was appropriated to an incident ("An incident with serious failures in security protections").

Incident caused a set of the adjusting organizational and technical actions. The technical water supply system which was earlier based on taken away from the sea of water was replaced with the turnover closed system with the sweet water cooled by water-cooling towers.

2010: The construction plan of storage of nuclear waste in Spain

As of October, 2010, nuclear waste of power plant from Tarragona is transferred to France under the agreement signed between France and Spain. Since 2011, according to data of the Ministry of the industry, Spain, should pay 60,000 euros a day as compensation for their safety.

This situation is one of the reasons for which the Government of Spain is going to construct in the country own storage for nuclear waste. The location of future place for the centralized temporary storage had to be defined in October, 2010.

However ecologists consider what after process of creation of the nuclear bunker "promotional campaign" which tries to convince the population that nuclear power engineering brings more benefit than troubles, will be unrolled with a new force^[1].

2015: A reactor stop because of failure in power supply

On February 3, 2015 operation of the reactor of Vandellós II nuclear power plant (Vandellós II) located in municipality of Vandellós (the province Tarragona, Catalonia), was automatically stopped because of failure in power supply. The EFE news agency with reference to Council of nuclear security (CSN)^[2] reported about it^[2].

Shutdown happened around 3 p.m. local time. Strong wind gusts which deenergized the reactor became the reason, according to preliminary data. It is reported that soon the reactor automatically switched to other diet. CSN claim that such failure in operation of the nuclear reactor is absolutely safe.

During shutdown in a number of regions of Spain storm warning in connection with sharp wind gusts, snowfalls and high waves was announced.

See Also

• Catalonia
• Spain
• Economy of Spain

Notes