Ukrainian officials said on 30 April that radiation levels remained safe after a fire broke out at unit 3 of the Rovno nuclear plant, leading to the shutdown of the reactor.
The fire, which was extinguished within an hour, erupted in an electrical transformer, triggering the reactor protection system, according to Ilona Zayets, a spokeswoman for nuclear utility Energoatom.
The causes of the fire are being investigated. The incident has been rated zero on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES).
The reactor will remain offline until the transformer can be replaced. Three dozen firefighters and 10 fire trucks tackled the blaze after emergency procedures were set in place. Ukraine’s State Emergency Situations Service of Rovno region reported the level of radiation remained normal in the area.
Rovno comprises four units – two VVER-440/213 reactors, which began operation in 1980 and 1981, and two VVER-1000 units which began operation in 1987 and 2004.
Photo: Unit 3 at the Rovno nuclear plant (Credit: Energoatom)
