TNAG-1504-FCO40-2062-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 51

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AUTOMATIC MACHINE-IMPLEMENTED, SAFETY SYSTEMS) WERE

TO BLAME FOR THE ACCIDENT.

(C) THE SOVIET UNION ADMITTED THAT HALF THEIR RBMK

(I.E. THE CHERNOBYL TYPE) REACTORS HAD BEEN CLOSED DOWN

FOR MODIFICATIONS AND THAT FUTURE RBMK REACTORS WOULD

BE MADE SAFER. ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION BY RBMK REACTORS

IS SCHEDULED TO FALL 10 PER CENT NEXT YEAR. THE RUSSIANS

WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING AN ECONOMIC PRICE FOR INCREASED

SAFETY.

(D)

THE SOVIET UNION DID NOT SEEK TO DIVERT ATTENTION

FROM CHERNOBYL BY SEEKING DISCUSSION OF, OR EXAMPLE,

NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES OR NUCLEAR TERRORISM.

BACKGROUND

4.

THE SOVIET REPORT CONFIRMS THAT DURING AN EXPERIMENT TO

TEST THE RESIDUAL POWER IN THE TURBINE IN REACTOR NUMBER 4 AT

CHERNOBYL, THE OPERATORS REPEATEDLY FAILED TO IMPLEMENT THE

REQUIRED SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. WHILST THE BLAME WAS PUT ON

INCOMPETENT OFFICIALS (PARA 7 OF GUIDANCE TELNØ 66) SOVIET

EXPERTS WERE NOT SLOW TO RECOGNISE THAT THE DESIGNERS OF THE

RBMK REACTORS HAD FAILED TO INCLUDE SUFFICIENT AUTOMATIC SAFETY

DEVICES. THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES INDICATED THAT THEY WERE TAKING

REMEDIAL STEPS ON THEIR REMAINING RBMK REACTORS.

FUTURE ACTION IN THE IAEA FORUM

5.

THE TWO DRAFT CONVENTIONS AND THE REPORT OF THE POST

ACCIDENT REVIEW WILL BE CONSIDERED AT A SPECIAL SESSION OF THE

IAEA GENERAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD FROM 24-26 SEPTEMBER WHEN THE

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENERGY WILL REPRESENT THE UK. THERE

WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSION OF THE WHOLE RANGE OF NUCLEAR SAFETY

ISSUES. WE HOPE THAT AT THE END OF THE SPECIAL SESSION THE

CONVENTIONS WILL BE OPENED FOR SIGNATURE AND THAT THEY WILL ENTER

INTO FORCE VERY SOON THEREAFTER. HOWE.

FCO/WHITEHALL INFO D

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ADDITIONAL DI GUIDANCE

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