Ukrainian nuclear reactor comes to near-halt because of pump malfunction

The Associated Press

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) A reactor at Ukraine's Yuzhna nuclear power plant came to a near-halt after a malfunction in its circulation pumps, officials said Wednesday. Two pumps at the No. 2 reactor broke down Tuesday, forcing workers to reduce the reactor's output by 90 percent until Wednesday morning, said the state nuclear company Energoatom.

The reactor is currently working at 81 percent capacity, Energoatom said. No radiation leaks were reported in the incident, the second at the plant in less than a week.

On Friday, one of Yuzhna's three reactors was halted due to a malfunction in its steam generator.

Ukraine relies on nuclear power for about 40 percent of its electricity, but the country's aging reactors are often shut down due to minor malfunctions or for repairs. In December, Ukraine permanently closed down the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, site of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.

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