Russia nuke reactor offline after leak

RUSSIA said yesterday it had taken offline a reactor at a nuclear plant in the south of the country after detecting a steam leak, but said radiation levels were normal.

State nuclear agency Rosatom operates 38 reactors – mostly built during the Soviet period at 11 nuclear power stations across the country. The second of four reactors at the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant was taken offline yesterday for repairs after a steam leak was detected at around 10pm on Wednesday, said Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of Rosatom.

Rosenergoatom said the leak was due to a welding defect on an 18-millimetre pipe carrying non-radioactive water in the reactor’s steam generator, saying it “posed no danger”.