Russian Official: Bushehr Problem a Damaged Cooling Pump
Tiny Metal Shards Could Have Lowered Reactor's Lifespan
Russian officials issued a statement today attempting to explain the sudden shutdown of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, a Russian-built plant that was supposed to be the first in a series of power plants across Iran that would free up more oil for export.
According to the statement, one of the cooling pumps is damaged and has metal debris inside of it. Though experts say that this is not a safety problem, if the plant was operated in this condition it would significantly reduce the reactor’s lifespan.
Iran announced over the weekend that they were removing the fuel from the plant for unspecified “technical work,” which is a major setback for the plant, whose addition to the national electricity grid has been slowed markedly.
The Russian statement insisted the problem was a function of high pressure operation during some of the tests. It remains to be seen if the problem is related to the Stuxnet computer worm, or is simply a problem of workmanship.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- No Deal: US Restarted Pakistan Drone Strikes Despite Objections - February 22nd, 2012
- Syrian National Council Demands Foreign Invasion - February 22nd, 2012
- State Dept.: Pakistani Taliban 'Not Welcome' at Truce Talks - February 22nd, 2012
- Israeli FM: Our Decision to Attack Iran None of US, Russia's Business - February 22nd, 2012
- Hunger Strike Ends, but Adnan's Detention Without Charges Doesn't - February 22nd, 2012
Jaime
March 1st, 2011 at 8:09 am
I wouldn't trust the Russians either. They are no different than the Americans. They will use you and throw you out to the sharks afterwards.
smithy100
March 1st, 2011 at 9:50 am
Why do you always add this " It remains to be seen if the problem is related to the Stuxnet computer worm, or is simply a problem of workmanship." to your iran power plant articles? That sounds like propaganda to me.
masmanz
March 1st, 2011 at 11:05 am
Cause of the failure: American Worm or Russian Engineering. Scary either way. Time to give up on the idea of Nuclear Power Plant. Not only Iran but the rest of the world too.
Keith
March 1st, 2011 at 11:15 am
You're right but if you're Iran it makes so much sense to have alternative energies. Nuclear maybe isn't the way to go. They got all those resources they could probably find build some geothermal plants or solar grids or something.
MoT
March 1st, 2011 at 2:11 pm
It wouldn't matter if Iran went totally solar because even then the American Imperium would dub them a "threat" to solar security.
blowback
March 1st, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Neither – the pump that failed was manufactured twenty-odd years ago by a German company and has been sat around doing nothing for that time. There is a report about this at Arms Control Wonk.