Stockholm Sweden, September 14 : Repair works on one of Sweden’s six nuclear reactors has been delayed for two months until January 31st, 2023, the owner of the plant, the Vattenfall, a company that produces energy Vattenfall said.Two weeks ago the company announced an essential component of the Ringhals 4 reactor was damaged in connection with regular maintenance, and the reactor would be repaired and running by November 30.
It will not be re-opened until the middle of the winter season, in another setback for power supply during the European-wide energy shortage, Xinhua news agency reported.
“It is evident that this will be a huge interruption for us as well as for the power supply in Sweden,” Bjorn Linde, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ringhals nuclear power plant said on Swedish Television on Tuesday.
The main reason behind the delay is the repair of the damaged vessel for pressure is more complex than previously announced, Ringhals said in a statement that stated that over 100 Ringhals employees are involved in designing work processes and creating particular tools and spare components.
A fully-scale model of the massive 13-metre high pressure vessel is being constructed to test the equipment and practice the process.
“The pressure vessel is radioactive.All work is meticulously planned and practice in an environment that allows for testing assists us in working efficiently and safely when we’re prepared to complete the repair,” Linde said in the statement.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us however the motivation is strong as nuclear power is in demand in southern Sweden.All resources are being used to bring Ringhals 4 back in operating,” he added.
The shutdown of various reactors in 2017-2020 has left Sweden with three nuclear power plants with the total of six reactors that generate about 30 percent of Sweden’s electricity consumption according to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM).
As the story of the reactor’s damage first surfaced in the month of August, researchers stated that it could have a significant impact on the prices of electricity in Sweden particularly in the more populous south.
Christian Holtz, an electricity market analyst at the consulting firm Merlin & Metis, then told TT news agency that the cost of electricity could increase further as the majority of Sweden’s electricity is produced in the north and the reactor’s downtime will exacerbate the already existing issues in the grid of power transmission.
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