Taiwan Power determines cause of nuclear plant shutdown Source: Associated Press Publication date: 2001-04-11

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Unstable electric current generated by steam turbines may have caused the small fire that shut down a nuclear plant in southern Taiwan last month, officials said Wednesday. Abnormal weather conditions and erratic temperature of the water running the turbines at Taiwan's third nuclear plant may have caused the unstable electricity generation, which overloaded transmission lines, said Huang Huei-yu, a spokeswoman for Taiwan Power Co.

Taiwan's Cabinet has yet to concur with the company's findings, and the plant will remain shut until both sides have determined the cause of the accident. The company hopes to resume operations by the end of April, Huang said.

The plant was immediately shut down last month when the circuit breaker at one of the generators vital to cooling the reactors caught fire. The malfunction did not occur in the nuclear reactor and did not cause any radiation leaks or injuries.

The company has said that there was no threat of an electricity shortage on the island since it has enough power in reserves to make up the shortfall.

http://cnniw.yellowbrix.com/pages/cnniw/Story.nsp?story_id=19770597&ID=cnniw&scategory=Utilities

-- Carl Jenkins (somewherepress@aol.com), April 11, 2001