nuclear-news

China’s Taishan nuclear power plant remains closed, following fuel leak.

A nuclear reactor in China run by the developers behind Britain’s £20bn
Sizewell C power station remains shut for repair after fuel rods started
leaking.

Inspections are ongoing at the Taishan power plant, where the
reactor was shut in August after radioactivity was found in the cooling
waters. The plant is owned by China General Nuclear (CGN) and France’s
EDF, which are also building the Hinkley Point C plant in Somerset and
Sizewell C in Suffolk, using the same reactor design as at Taishan.

CGN,
which is a minority partner to EDF in Hinkley, has a 20pc development phase
stake in the Sizewell with an option to participate in the construction
phase. The Government is understood to be keen to push CGN out of the
project, however, amid rising concern about Chinese influence in critical
national infrastructure.

There are also hopes that more American investors
would be encouraged to invest if CGN were not involved. Experts have said
cracked fuel rods are “not uncommon” in the industry. An EDF spokesman
said: “The fuel and reactor vessel inspection is still ongoing. The
origin of the fuel rod leakage will only be determined once the analysis is
completed.” The inspection is being carried out under the joint venture
company which runs the plant, TNPJVC, owned 70pc by CGN and 30pc by EDF.

 Telegraph 7th Nov 2021

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/11/07/chinese-reactor-run-sizewell-hinkley-developers-still-shut-leaking/

November 9, 2021 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | China, technology