International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concerned about nuclear safety in China

CHINA STILL NEEDS ‘FURTHER WORK’ TO IMPROVE NUCLEAR SAFETY, IAEA SAYS http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/front-top/317444-china-still-needs-%E2%80%98further-work%E2%80%99-to-improve-nuclear-safety-iaea-says.html 08 September 2016 SHANGHAI: China has boosted safety regulation at its growing fleet of nuclear reactors but needs “further work” in areas such as waste management and handling ageing plants, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday.

With 32 reactors in commercial operation and 24 under construction, China wants to build its manufacturing capability, not only to cut dependence on polluting fossil fuels, but also to dominate the lucrative nuclear reactor market.It aims to raise total nuclear generation capacity to 58 gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2020, up from 30.7 GW at the end of July.

But China’s nuclear safety authorities still need to pour in the effort and resources for effective regulation of nuclear and radiation safety, said Ramzi Jammal, leader of a team of IAEA experts who spent 10 days assessing its nuclear safety rules.

The “unparalleled expansion” of nuclear capacity will present challenges for China’s industry regulator, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), Jammal told Reuters.

Despite China’s strong efforts to increase its regulatory capacity in the past five years, he said, its regulation of ageing reactors could present the highest risk over the long term, and it must boost its nuclear waste management capacity.

While China’s own nuclear safety record has been strong, there are concerns about regulatory gaps that might arise once it sells reactors overseas.

Jammal, who heads regulatory operations at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, urged greater efforts by China to ensure that regulators in countries importing its technology were strong enough to impose the necessary safety regulations. China’s first overseas project, in Pakistan, features its own-brand “Hualong One” reactor design. Besides Argentina and Britain, it also aims to sell the reactor model to nations such as Egypt and Kenya, which currently have no nuclear projects.

Though the Hualong One is considered to be extremely safe after Chinese designers addressed concerns stemming from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, Beijing needs to be aware of the safety risks of exports, said Greg Rzentkowski, director of the IAEA’s nuclear installation safety division.

“Safety is dictated by the quality of construction and the quality of operations, and there is a question mark when it comes to other emerging markets,” he told Reuters.

“We expect China to take a little bit more of an active role on the international level and lead by example.”

September 9, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, safety

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