https://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/federaciones/pais-valencia/
The new accident at the Cofrentes plant has led to the discharge of an unknown quantity of highly radioactive water outside the containment of the reactor
On September 9, the Cofrentes nuclear power plant suffered a highly radioactive water leak from the reactor’s primary circuit. This leak has occurred in the turbine building of the plant, that is, outside the reactor containment, whose mission is precisely to keep possible radioactive discharge leaks isolated from the outside.
This leak does not seem to have been detected in the first instance, but only as a result of lowering the water level inside the reactor, which has led to the urgent shutdown of the reactor.
This accident has meant the first unscheduled shutdown of the plant since the controversial renewal of its operating license, in March of this year, and together with the fact that it does not seem to have been detected in the first instance, it highlights the imprudence and corruption that has been involved.
Indeed, the Cofrentes plant, which has already completed 37 years of operation, well beyond its design life, is old and deteriorated, and this combined with its management’s policy of maximizing production at all costs, does more – It is foreseeable that accidents like this or more serious will be repeated.
For this reason, the Tanquem Cofrents platform, of which Ecologistes en Acció del País Valencià is a part, insists that this power plant, which puts all citizens in danger, be closed once, and that a rapid transition be made to a system based on exclusively in renewable energies, that avoids catastrophic climate change and that will be cleaner, safer and cheaper.
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Environmentalists denounce radioactive water leak
The Iberian Anti-Nuclear Movement (MIA) has denounced the existence of a “highly radioactive” water leak at the Cofrentes nuclear power plant, located in the Spanish province of Valencia, but the owner says there was no environmental or safety impacts.
By TPN/Lusa, in News, Environment, Europe · 1 day ago · 0 Comments
In a statement sent to Lusa, MIA states that the information on the occurrence of this nuclear accident came from the Tanquem Cofrents platform, which is part of the Iberian movement and that brings together the main ecological groups and organisations of the Valencian civil society.
The accident was recorded on Thursday, with “a leak of highly radioactive water in the turbine of the plant, in the reactor’s primary circuit”.
The Iberdrola Group, owner of the nuclear power plant, through a note published on its website, states that “this incident had no impact on the safety of the facilities, people or the environment”.
“The Cofrentes nuclear power plant, following established procedures, informed the Nuclear Safety Council that, at 10:17 am [Thursday], the automatic shutdown of the reactor was registered due to the operation of its protection system by a low punctual signal level in the reactor vessel. All safety systems in the factory functioned properly according to the project and the unit is stable in operating condition three (hot stop)”, the document reads.
According to Iberdrola, the specific decrease in the water level “was due to the decrease in the flow of feed water” and the technical team of the nuclear power plant “is carrying out the anomaly resolution tasks”.
The MIA, on the other hand, states that the leak occurred “outside the containment of the reactor, whose mission is precisely to keep possible radioactive discharges isolated from the outside.”
“The group [Fechem Cofrentes] continues to explain that this leak does not appear to have been detected in the first instance, but only as a result of the reduction in the water level inside the reactor, which led to the urgent need to stop the reactor.”
They add that this accident represented the first unscheduled shutdown of the Spanish nuclear power plant in Cofrentes since the renewal of the operating license in March of this year.
According to environmentalists, the Cofrentes plant “is old and deteriorated” which, together with the management policy “of maximising production at all costs, makes it more than predictable that accidents like this or more serious will be repeated.”
“The MIA has insisted that this plant be closed as it endangers all citizens, and that a rapid transition be made to a system based solely on renewable energy, that avoids catastrophic climate change and that will make it cleaner, safer and cheaper,” he concludes.
It also warns of the danger of extending the operation of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, located 100 kilometres from the border with Portugal and next to the Tagus River.
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original .. Català
El nou accident de la central nuclear Confrents ha suposat el vessament d’aigua altament radioactiva
10/09/2021 | Federación, portada, Nuclear (tema), País Valencià “ La plataforma Tanquem Cofrents de la qual forma part Ecologistes en Acció del País Valencià, denuncia que el nou accident en la central de Cofrents demostra la imprudència d’haver-li renovat la llicència de funcionament.
Aquest 9 de setembre la central nuclear de Cofrents ha patit una fuga d’aigua altament radioactiva del circuit primari del reactor. La fuga s’ha produït en l’edifici de la turbina de la central, és a dir, fora de la contenció del reactor, la missió de la qual és justament mantindre les possibles fugues de vessaments radioactius aïllades de l’exterior.
Aquesta fuga no pareix haver-se detectat en primera instància, sinó només arran de la baixada del nivell de l’aigua dins del reactor, la qual cosa ha obligat a aturar urgentment el reactor.
Aquest accident ha suposat la primera parada no programada de la central des que se li va renovar la llicència de funcionament, al març d’enguany, i juntament amb el fet que no pareix haver-se detectat en primera instància posa de manifest la imprudència que ha suposat la renovació per part del Govern.
En efecte, la central de Cofrents, que ja ha complit 37 anys de funcionament, molt més enllà de la seua vida de disseny, està vella i deteriorada. Això, combinat amb la política de la direcció de la central de maximitzar la producció a tota costa, fa més que previsible que accidents com aquest o més greus es repetisquen.
Per això, la plataforma Tanquem Cofrents, de la qual forma part Ecologistes en Acció del País Valencià, insisteix a demanar que es tanque d’una vegada aquesta central que posa tota la ciutadania en perill, i que es faça una transició ràpida a un sistema basat exclusivament en energies renovables, que evite un canvi climàtic catastròfic i que serà més net, segur i econòmic.
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y en Castellano
El nuevo accidente de la central Cofrentes ha supuesto el vertido de una cantidad desconocida de agua altamente radioactiva fuera de la contención del reactor
Este 9 de septiembre la central nuclear de Cofrentes ha sufrido una fuga de agua altamente radioactiva del circuito primario del reactor. Dicha fuga se ha producido en el edificio de la turbina de la central, es decir, fuera de la contención del reactor, cuya misión es precisamente mantener las posibles fugas de vertidos radioactivos aisladas del exterior.
Esta fuga no parece haberse detectado en primera instancia, sino sólo a raiz de bajar el nivel del agua dentro del reactor, lo que ha llevado a tener que parar urgentemente el reactor.
Este accidente ha supuesto la primera parada no programada de la central desde la renovación de su licencia de funcionamiento, en marzo de este año, y junto al hecho de que no parece haber sido detectada en primera instancia, pone de manifiesto la imprudencia que ha supuesto esta renovación por parte del gobierno.
En efecto, la central de Cofrentes, que ya ha cumplido 37 años de funcionamiento, mucho más allá de su vida de diseño, esta vieja y deteriorada, y ello combinado con la política de su dirección de maximizar la producción a toda costa, hace más que previsible que accidentes como este o más graves se repitan.
Por ello, la plataforma Tanquem Cofrents, de la que forma parte Ecologistes en Acció del País Valencià, insiste en que se cierre de una vez esta central que pone a toda la ciudadanía en peligro, y que se haga una transición rápida a un sistema basado exclusivamente en energías renovables, que evite un cambio climático catastrófico y que será más limpio, seguro y económico.
The Free 
