SPECIAL COMMITTEE FAVOURS, HAZARD AND
OPERABILITY STUDY OF NUCLEAR PROCESS PLANTS
An investigation
committee comprising specialists has recommended a hazard and
operability study of all nuclear process plants. The Committee’s
suggestion follows an investigation conducted by it, into an explosion
at the Nuclear Fuel Complex Hyderabad on the 20th November
last year. The explosion took place in the wet section of the
National Uranium Oxide Fuel Plant (NUOFP) and the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board suspended the operation of this section of the
plant. No one was injured in the accident and there was no radioactive
release into the environ.
The Board has now
cleared operation of the Wet section of the Fuel Plant, with the
completion of the enquiry. The Special Investigating Committee
has confirmed that the explosion was due to what it called "Red
Oil Reaction", i.e. an uncontrolled chemical reaction involving
hot organic liquid and aqueous nitrate solution. The Committee
observed that favourable conditions such as presence of nitrate,
organic liquids and temperature for causing the reaction existed
in the evaporator at the wet section of the plant at the time
of the incident.
The Board issued
permission to resume operation after its inspection team verified
the adequacy of measures taken up by the Management of the Nuclear
Fuel Complex, to prevent recurrence of any such accident.
