Reactor Shut Down At Ukraine Nuclear Plant, Largest In Europe

KIEV, Aug 11, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) One of six reactors was
disconnected Friday at the Zaporijia nuclear power plant in southern
Ukraine, Europe's largest plant, because of a malfunction in its hydraulic
engine system, plant officials said.

The problem in reactor three, which occurred shortly before 8:00 a.m. (0500
GMT), "did not cause any rise in the level of radioactivity," a plant
engineer told AFP by telephone.

The reactor continued to operate at 25 percent of its normal capacity and
was expected to be reconnected to the plant's power network later Friday.

The Zaporijia plant has six Soviet-era VVER-1000 reactors, which produce 25
percent of Ukraine's electricity.

Ukraine has four other nuclear plants, including the one at Chernobyl, site
of the world's worst civilian accident in April 1986.

An estimated 15,000 to 30,000 people have already died as a result of the
explosion in the plant's fourth reactor, which sent a radioactive cloud
over much of Europe. ((c) 2000 Agence France Presse)

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