A damaged nuclear reactor in Sweden that was scheduled to resume on Sunday has been delayed even again, according to local media.
According to the Swedish Dagens Nyheter (DN) daily, Ringhals 4 was supposed to be reconnected to the energy grid in November after repairs to a pressure vessel that was broken in August.
The restart date was first moved back to January 2023, then to February 24, March 19, March 26, and finally to April 1, according to Xinhua news agency.
After the restart began and pressure and temperature in the plant grew, a leak in a valve appeared, which, although being “extremely minor,” must be rectified before the plant can be restarted, according to the study.
“Safety and stability always come first. We will not restart Ringhals 4 with known defects, not even a small one like this,” said Anna Collin, press manager at Ringhals.
“We will start producing electricity in the near future, but right now we need a few more days,” Collin said.
The Ringhals facility’s operator had stated that collecting the tools needed for the repairs had taken longer than planned.
Electricity costs, which have risen to record highs in the last year, may stay erratic as a result of the combined impact of the delay and the current cold weather.
According to the Swedish Radiation Safety Agency, nuclear power provides for around 30% of the energy produced in Sweden.
Six reactors are now operational at three locations, following the decommissioning of four reactors between 2017 and 2020.
