South Korea

02/08(H-) 20:11 [Feb 8, 2000]

Nuclear Plant Suspends Operations for Second Time

Following a shutdown Monday, the Youngkwang number 4 nuclear reactor was shutdown again on Tuesday due to a malfunction. The Youngkwang Nuclear Plant headquarters revealed that following plant reactivation at 12:54am Tuesday, after installing and exchanging a defective location sensor, the pressure vessel exhibited faulty readings as dampening rods were raised to increase the nuclear reaction and power output. At around 6:00am engineers halted the reactor and closed down the turbine.

(From Youngkwang, Kim Song-hyun, shkim@chosun.com)

The Digital Chosunilbo, North Korea

http://www.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200002/200002080483.html

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Background: (May 4, 1999) The Youngkwang nuclear plant No.1 set the record in capacity factor with 103.18%, putting it at the top of the world's 432 nuclear plants now in operation. According to Nucleonics Week(Feb. 12th edition), Korea's Youngkwang power plant No.1 outstripped America's Vogrie No.2 and Robinson No.2 in terms of capacity factor in 1997. The utilization ratio indicates the level of operational technique of a nuclear power plant and its supply capacity. -- Source: KPS News

http://www.kps.co.kr/english/kps_news/b_1_5.html

-- Lee Maloney (leemaloney@hotmail.com), March 19, 2000