A spanner forgotten after manufacture caused a newgenerator to short circuit and fail at Ringhals 3, according to Swedishmedia reports. A plastic pen was also left behind by Alstom workers,but this was not thought to have caused any damage during the severaldays the generator was under test. Ringhals is a 1040 MWe pressurizedwater reactor commissioned in 1981 and owned by Vattenfall and EOn. The unit'sother generator, also being upgraded as part of the same project, wastaken out of service for checks and is now planned to be put back intooperation on 3 September. The reactor would then be able to operate at50% power and reduce Vattenfall's reported losses of up to SEK2 million($300,000) per day with both generators out. The generator was stillunder Alstom's ownership when it was damaged.
Further information
WNA's Nuclear Energy in Sweden information paper
Spanner in Ringhals' works
A spanner forgotten after manufacture caused a new generator to short circuit and fail at Ringhals 3, according to Swedish media reports. A plastic pen was also left behind by Alstom workers, but this was not thought to have caused any damage during the several days the generator was under test. Ringhals is a 1040 MWe pressurized water reactor commissioned in 1981 and owned by Vattenfall and EOn. The unit's other generator, also being upgraded as part of the same project, was taken out of service for checks and is now planned to be put back into operation on 3 September. The reactor would then be able to operate at 50% power and reduce Vattenfall's reported losses of up to SEK2 million ($300,000) per day with both generators out. The generator was still under Alstom's ownership when it was damaged.
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