63km away from the MSAR | Taishan nuclear plant is ‘too far’ from Macau to pose major risk

Guo Limin (left) and Wong Sio Chak

Even in the event of a very serious nuclear incident (level 7) at the nuclear power plant of Taishan, protective measures such as the evacuation of the city will not be required, according to Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak.
Wong spoke on Friday at a media briefing regarding the controversial nuclear power plant that is currently under construction 63 kilometers from Macau.
Wong explained that only locations within 20 kilometers of a nuclear disaster must be evacuated, under the guidelines established by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
During the briefing, members of the China General Nuclear Power Corporation Ltd. (CGN) explained the status of the facility’s construction.
The briefing at the Macau Dome was attended by high-­ranked security officials from the MSAR, experts on nuclear energy from mainland China, CGN representatives and members of Macau media.
Wong said there is a contingency plan regarding potential nuclear threats and the territory’s response. He said the plan had been established by the Portuguese administration back in 1995.
“Since the Portuguese administration, there has been a [contingency] plan. It was originally published on January 8 1995. We have reviewed and updated it back in 2011 and it is available for everyone to check,” Wong said, adding that a Chinese language version of the plan is already available online and that a Portuguese version would be made available soon.
The contingency plan was set out by the Portuguese administration in response to the potential threat of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, which is located around 105 kilometers from Macau, as mentioned in the government’s 1995 policy address.
The director of the Cultural and Publicity Center of CGN, Huang Xiaofei, held a presentation on the company’s safety measures for its power plants.
He said that 74 percent of the production plants adhere to international-level standards and 68 percent have a “very high level” of safety measures.
“We pay a lot of attention to security. Security is the most important and quality is a constant concern,” Huang said in his opening presentation.
Huang added that the company carries out regular tests and inspections, with 25 such tests undertaken in 2015. Besides those, the company was subjected to six external evaluations from an independent international organization, and all the results were “very positive,” according to Huang.
He said the company has its own “contingency plan and that in case of any incident there is a communication mechanism that publicly informs the population within 72 hours.” A similar scheme will be also established for the Macau side.
Deng Zhengping, deputy chief engineer of the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co. Ltd., added that the plant is being built with “third-generation technology reactors” in collaboration with French company AREVA and Japan’s Mitsubishi.
He confirmed that after a series of tests, the first two units of the power plant would commence operation in mid-2017.
Guo Limin, general manager of the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co. Ltd., added that there are three security barriers protecting the nucleus of the reactor. He said the barriers dissipate heat and function as an external shell, and that their main goal “is to [maintain] the quality of this security belt.”
Whether the reactors bought from AREVA comply with new MSAR regulations was a question that could not be fully answered.
“We know about the concerns and we have been following that situation [regarding excess carbon emissions detected in France]. So far, we haven’t detected any problems in the equipment, but we are doing tests and [following up] on the results,” said Guo.

visit to the construction site

The government plans to organize a visit to the construction site of the Taishan nuclear power plant, said Wong Sio Chak. The delegation will include representatives from the government and community, as well as members of the media.