Power problems
July 6, 2009
Shut down after a fire in June 2007 and only back online since June 19, 2009, the Kruemmel nuclear power plant in northern Germany was automatically brought to a standstill on Saturday.
Run by Vattenfall, ownership of the Kruemmel plant is split with half of the plant belonging to the Swedish energy giant and the other half owned by Germany's Eon. The two companies also jointly own the Brunsbuettel nuclear power plant, with two-thirds in Vattenfall's hands, and share ownership of the Brokdorf nuclear power plant, which is operated by Eon.
June 28, 2007: Vattenfall announces that the Kruemmel power plant was taken offline after a fire occurred in a transformer outside the reactor building. Shortly before the announcement, the company also said that, in a separate incident, a short-circuit led to the temporary shut-down of its nuclear power plant in Brunsbuettel.
June 30, 2007: Vattenfall officials say neither of the incidents was connected to the parts of the plants responsible for nuclear power production.
July 1, 2007: Brunsbuettel goes back online but is put on stand-by after two weeks due to a transformer problem.
July 3, 2007: The energy company says the quick shutdown in Kruemmel caused a pump malfunction.
July 6, 2007: A state nuclear regulatory agency releases information showing that smoke from the Kruemmel fire clouded the control room, the plant's internal energy supply was temporarily affected and not all relevant computer files regarding the incident were saved. In its first press conference after the failures occurred, Vattenfall admits errors were made and says misunderstandings among personnel caused the mistakes.
July 8, 2007: Contrary to company reports, the regulatory agency says breakdowns occurred when the Brunsbuettel plant was powered back up at the beginning of the month.
July 14, 2007: In a preliminary report, Vattenfall says it should have been more open with information about the fires. Two days later, the head of the company's nuclear division is relieved of his duties and the company's spokesman resigns.
July 18, 2007: Vattenfall Europe head Klaus Rauscher also resigns.
July 21, 2007: Incorrectly installed wall anchors at the Brunsbuettel plant lead to the facility's complete shutdown.
Feb. 4, 2008: A smoldering fire in the Kruemmel reactor's ventilation system is extinguished immediately after starting.
Feb. 20, 2008: A defective electronic card leads to a transformer in the Brunsbuettel emergency power system to shut down.
May 18, 2009: A diesel motor in the Brunsbuettel plant malfunctions during planned maintenance. A leak is also found in the cooling system.
June 19, 2009: After nearly two years off the power grid, the Kruemmel plant is put back online. The company says many improvements had been made to the plant's transformers to prevent short circuits and minimize their impact should they occur.
July 1, 2009: A malfunction in one of two transformators responsible for connecting the power plant to the grid leads to the Kruemmel facility's automatic shutdown. The plant is put back online in a matter of hours and expected to be back at full power production by July 5. Human error is reported to be responsible for the break down.
July 4, 2009: Kruemmel undergoes a quick shutdown after a short circuit in a transformator.
July 5, 2009: Vattenfall apologizes for not informing the state regulatory agency as required and says "safety must always come before speed" in deciding when the Kruemmel plant will be turned back on. The company adds that it is unsure what caused the short circuit or when the plant could be put back online.
sms/dpa/AFP
Editor: Kate Bowen