§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has received from the French authorities about the recent malfunction of their experimental nuclear reactor at Marcoule involving sodium leakage.
§ Mr. John Moore[pursuant to his reply, 10 May, c. 171]: The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has been advised by the French authorities that there was an incident at their experimental nuclear reactor at Marcoule, called Phenix, which started with a small leak of steam from a reheater tube of one of the three secondary sodium cooling circuits. It was detected by instruments installed for this purpose. The reactor was shut down. Some 24 hours later there was a small leak of sodium into the steam side causing a minor fire which was rapidly extinguished. Substantial provision is made in the design of the Phenix reactor for dealing with leaks of steam or water into the sodium. Any damage to the plant is thought to have been confined to the affected steam generator unit. The French authorities have emphasised that there have been no significant external effects of this leak.