Sweden shuts down 40 pct of nuclear reactors

STOCKHOLM, Feb 3 (Reuters) Four out of Sweden's 10 nuclear reactors were off-line today because of safety worries, capping a difficult week for the Nordic country's nuclear industry.

Sweden relies on nuclear power for around half of its energy needs and electricity prices jumped last July when half the country's reactors were taken off-line in the wake of an emergency shut-down at one unit.

Today two reactors at the Forsmark plant were shut after a problem was detected in a rubber seal on the outer wall of one of the reactors, one of the owners said.

Earlier this week the Ringhals 3 reactor was shut down to check and adjust instruments after some anomalous readings. Its sister reactor, Ringhals 1, has been off-line since Monday after a problem with its cooling system.

State-owned power group Vattenfall said the decision to shut down the Forsmark 1 reactor was taken after tests yesterday showed the rubber seal had lost some of its elasticity.

''The seals have no safety function during normal operations, but would function to keep the right pressure in case of a broken pipe inside the reactor casing,'' the company said in a statement.

The reactor was taken off-line gradually overnight and brought to a complete halt today morning, the firm said.

Its virtually identical sister reactor, Forsmark 2, was shut down later on Saturday as a precaution, Vattenfall said. A plant spokesman said no problems similar to those at its twin reactor had been detected, Forsmark's Anders Markgren said safety had not been compromised as a result of the problem with the rubber seal or the ensuing shutdowns.

The plant's third reactor, Forsmark 3, is of a completely different model and Markgren said he was not aware of any plans to take it off-line. It was unclear when the two closed reactors could be restarted, he added.

Sweden's Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI), which this week complained to prosecutors over Forsmark's handling of the July emergency shutdown last year, said the reactors would remain closed until it was certain that the seals functioned properly.

The Forsmark plant, located about 100 kilometres north of the Swedish capital on the country's Baltic coastline, accounts for roughly a sixth of Sweden's electricity production.

The plant is jointly owned by Vattenfall, Mellansvensk Kraftgrupp and Germany's E.ON.

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