China’s nuclear regulator today acknowledged a problem with fuel rods in a nuclear reactor, an increased level of radiation, but denied that it had leaked, world agencies reported.
Five of the 60,000 rods in the First Reactor of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, near Hong Kong, were damaged. This has led to an increase in the radiation inside the reactor, but its level remains within the permissible values. The safety system has been activated and no leakage of radiation has been allowed.
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“The operational safety of the plant is guaranteed,” said the Chinese nuclear regulator. He explicitly clarified that there was no leakage of radiation outside the First Reactor.
How and where did the first messages about the problem come from
Framatome, a division of the French energy conglomerate EDF, which developed the reactor of the nuclear power plant and continues to be involved in its operation, warned of an “imminent radiological danger”. On Monday, June 14, EDF announced that it had been notified of the accumulation of inert gases * at Taishan NPP.
American television the same day CNN reported that US authorities were assessing a report of a leak at the nuclear power plant after Framatome warned of an “imminent radiological danger” at the facility.
As early as June 14, the plant’s operator, a joint venture between EDF and the state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group, said it was solving a “production problem” but was currently operating within safety limits, following a report of a potential radioactive leak.
CNN went further, highlighting the US authorities’ concern (following a notification from Framatome) that the Chinese supervisor was raising the radiation limits outside the Taishan nuclear power plant so that it would not have to be stopped.
What did Beijing answer?
The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment said the problem was “common” and did not cause cause for concern.
An increase in radiation levels has been found in the Taishan Unit 1 reactor, but this is within the parameters for safe operations, the ministry said.
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The agency also said the increase was caused by damage to the lining of a small number of fuel rods. Fuel rods are sealed metal tubes that hold nuclear materials used to charge a nuclear reactor.
Of the 60,000 fuel rods in the reactor, the damaged ones represent “less than 0.01 percent,” the ministry said.
In its first official confirmation of the incident, Beijing also said that while the US regulator, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), had reviewed the use of inert (noble) gases in the reactor, it “had nothing to do with the discovery of radiation outside the nuclear power plant “.
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Satellite image provided by Planet Labs Inc. showing the Taishan nuclear power plant in Guangdong Province, China on May 8, 2021.
Photo: AP / BTA
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A Chinese official today denied CNN’s allegations that Beijing had meanwhile raised the permitted level of radiation to keep it out of the range.
Authorities in Hong Kong said they were monitoring the situation at the plant and asked Guangdong officials for details about the incident.
Is there a danger in such an incident
Damage to nuclear fuel rods and the release of inert gases occur in the process of nuclear fission, experts explained. They commented that it is not uncommon for fuel rods in a nuclear reactor to be damaged and that there is probably no serious danger to the environment.
A little more about the plant
The two pressurized water reactors at the Chinese-built Chinese plant were put into operation in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Taishan NPP provides energy to Guangdong and Shenzhen provinces, both of which are the country’s main production centers.
China has dozens of nuclear power plants and has invested billions of dollars to develop the nuclear power sector.
* Inert (noble) gases – a group of stable chemical elements that have very low reactivity. Gases that do not undergo chemical reactions under a range of conditions.
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