10.4.11

Kaiga N-reactor shut after smoke alarm

A nuclear power reactor at the Kaiga generating station (KGS) here was shut down after a smoke detection alarm went off on Friday. The alarm started in the control room of unit 3 around 4.30 am following which the 220 MW nuclear plant was shut down, the Nuclear Power Corporation said in a statement here. “On inspection, it has been found there was nothing abnormal,” station director J P Gupta said. As an abundant precaution, the unit was shut down, he said. The nuclear plant operator said routine surveillance tests were planned for unit-3 before May, when the plant was to be shut for a few weeks. “Having the unit in shutdown state, decision is taken to utilize this opportunity and carry out these tests now itself,” the NPCIL said. After completion of these surveillance tests, it is planned to bring back KGS unit-3 online, by April 17, it said. KGS unit-3 began commercial operations on May 6, 2007. The surveillance tests are carried out at nuclear plants once every two years.

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