Saturday, 28 July, 2007

United Press International

A new nuclear reactor in Australia has been shut down for at least eight weeks because of three loose uranium fuel plates.

Prime Minister John Howard opened the Lucas Heights Research Reactor in southern Sydney three months ago.

Sharon Kelly, a Lucas Heights spokeswoman, said a uranium plate had risen a few centimeters in three of the 16 fuel assemblies, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. She said the problem had no apparent effect on operations and posed no risk to the public.

"It was only noticed when we did a routine shutdown to do a fuel change," she said. "It is possibly a manufacturing problem. We have to find out why they got loose."

Engineers plan to use the shutdown to investigate a minor water leak as well.