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During an inspection of the Fuel Storage Pond (FSP) at the Halden Reactor on January 17 and 20, 2025, material wear was discovered on several bolts in a frame that holds the fuel rods in place. The material wear was found in the section of the storage facility dating back to the 1960s. The Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) was immediately notified on January 20.
Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) was concerned that the frame could collapse, potentially causing nuclear damage and radioactive release. The facility was immediately shut down for all non-essential activities, and a task force of experts was formed to assess whether there was a risk of nuclear damage and to evaluate how to secure the facility to prevent the frame structure from collapsing.
The situation is under control, and there is no risk to the surrounding area. I fully understand that some may have felt uncertain when we released information about discovering material wear on bolts in one of the fuel storage units.
Nils Morten Huseby
President of the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE).
The fuel storage facility is closed and is being monitored around the clock
IFE’s investigations of the fuel storage facility on January 21 and 22 have shown that more improvements have been made to the storage than initially anticipated. Of the original 38 aluminum tubes, 27 have been replaced with steel tubes that are fixed to the lid of the storage, leaving only 11 aluminum tubes still supported by the frame structure, and therefore at risk of movement if this fails. The risk of the tubes moving and getting closer to each other is very low, and there is no risk of nuclear damage or release into the surrounding area.
The fuel storage facility has been closed for all unnecessary activities and is being monitored 24/7 by measuring water temperature in the storage and radiation levels in the storage building.
IFE’s top priority is to bring in external experts to review our calculations and analyses of the conditions in the fuel storage. Additionally, work is underway to establish a technical solution to secure the storage. There are several alternative solutions for this, but these must be risk-assessed and approved by the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) before any work can begin.
