22.03.2007 Lauri Myllyvirta

The nuclear plant supplier Areva has admitted that all the primary circuit pipes of OL3 are faulty and will be recast. The installation of damaged and illegally manufactured steel container of the reactor will go on, however.

Finnish main newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports (March 20) that Areva was surprised by the fact that pipes that will be subject to enormous pressure and heat for 60 years need to be tested for cracks every now and then.

Nucleonics Weekly reports on the same date, that the container will be “repaired”, not redone, despite of neglect of quality and safety criteria during construction and damage that occured in a storm during storage. The container was hand welded by inexperienced and unqualified Polish workers in a machine yard chosen for its cheap offer.