Power plant nuclear reactor is shut down after cooling failure

A reactor at a nuclear power plant in southern France was shut down on Tuesday after an error in its cooling system was identified. French energy company EDF said there was no release of radioactivity into the environment.

AFP - One of four reactors at the Cruas nuclear power station in southern France was shut down late on Tuesday following a lapse in the cooling system, France's nuclear safety agency said.

French energy company EDF reported the incident at 2250 GMT and followed its emergency procedures to shut down the reactor, it added.

The cooling system for the reactors use water from the Rhone river and the incident was due to a high level of plant debris in the river blocking intake, it added.

Intake of water into the cooling system was restored by 0400 GMT.

The agency rated the incident as a two on the seven-level international scale of nuclear incidents, adding control over the reactor was maintained at all times and there was no release of radioactivity to the environment.

Date created : 2009-12-02