Radiation levels around Taishan N-plant normal
Print Edition
China said yesterday that radiation levels around the Taishan nuclear project in the southeastern province of Guangdong remained normal, following media reports of a leak at one of its reactors.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, told a news briefing that the plant was fully compliant with all requirements and there were no signs of abnormalities in its vicinity.
“So far China’s nuclear power plants have maintained a good operating record, with no incidents affecting the environment and public health,” Zhao said.
French utility EDF, one of the project’s owners, said they are fixing a “performance issue” at the facility, but the gas emissions carried out to do that are within acceptable limits.
CNN had reported that Framatome, the EDF unit that designed Taishan’s reactors, was warning of an “imminent radiological threat” at the project following a build-up of krypton and xenon.
EDF said on Monday that the problem at the plant could have been caused by fuel rods supplied by Framatome.
An EDF spokesman, who asked not to be named, said the issue was being handled.
“We are not in a scenario of an accident with a melting core,” he said. “We are not talking about contamination, we are talking about controlled emissions.”
Noble gases are elements which have low chemical reactivity — in this case it was xenon and krypton.
The gases were collected and treated as part of a process to remove any radioactivity before their release, which was normal and “in accordance with regulations,” he added.
Framatome said in a statement that the plant was operating “within the safety parameters” despite the “performance issue.”
The Taishan project, completed in 2019, consists of two French-designed reactors, and is located around 200 kilometers from Hong Kong.
Earlier, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam told reporters that the Hong Kong Observatory and the Water Supplies Department have been monitoring radiation levels and have so far not detected anything abnormal.
Li Ning, a Chinese nuclear scientist based in the United States, said the dangers at Taishan have been exaggerated. “Because nuclear power plants, once built and in operation, are under very strict control and local areas are excluded from further development, background radiation levels around them can often be lower than historical levels,” he said.
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