The state-run China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) said in the statement that “minor fuel damage” occurred during operation, but it was still “within the limits allowed by the technical specifications.”
It added that “after thorough discussions between French and Chinese technicians, the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant has decided to shut down the Unit 1 reactor for maintenance and investigate the causes of the fuel damage and replace the damaged fuel.”
The statement further emphasized that the reactor was “safe and under control”.
CNN first reported in June that French company Framatome – which supports its Taishan operations – had warned of an “imminent radiological threat” at the plant, prompting the US government to investigate the possibility of a leak.
Framatome is a subsidiary of French electricity giant Electricite de France (EDF), which has a 30% stake in the plant’s owner and operator, Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co., Ltd – a joint venture with CGN.
The Chinese government responded in June by stating that radiation levels around the facility were normal, adding that “less than 0.01 percent” was damaged by more than 60,000 fuel rods in the Unit 1 reactor. The damage is “inevitable” due to factors such as fuel production and transportation.
In July, an EDF spokesman said the situation was “serious” but not an emergency.
The spokesman said that if the reactor were in France, the company would have shut it down due to “the procedures and practices involved in operating nuclear power plants in France”.
The spokesman did not directly ask China to shut down operations at the plant, noting that it was a decision for CGN to do.
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