The Middle East’s most advanced nuclear power programs have hit problems: Iran has shut down its Bushehr nuclear power plant, apparently temporarily, while the UAE has sought reassurance from nuclear partner South Korea over a fake safety certificates scam.
Iran has removed nuclear fuel assemblies from the reactor at its 1.0gw capacity Bushehr nuclear plant, raising concerns about plant safety. News of the plant shutdown first emerged in a report by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano, which was circulated among member states on 16 November. “In a letter dated 15 October 2012,” said the report, “Iran informed the agency that ‘fuel assemblies will be transferred from the core to the spent fuel pond’ from 22 to 29 October 2012. On 6 and 7 November 2012, the agency conducted an inspection at Bushehr nuclear power plant and verified that the fuel assemblies were in the spent fuel pond.” (CONTINUED - 746 WORDS)
