Authorities report a Level 0 incident at Ling Ao Nuclear Power Plant

The Unitary Police Service (SPU) reported that the Guangdong Province Nuclear Emergency Management Commission has issued a notice regarding an incident at the Ling Ao Nuclear Power Plant in Shenzhen.

The notice indicated that, after inspection and verification by Ling Ao Nuclear Power Plant personnel, the event on November 27, 2024, was classified as a Level 0 incident.

The incident occurred during the replacement of the desalination box in the chemical and volume control system of Unit 1. During the operation, the isolation valve at the outlet of the desalination box was not closed as required, causing the liquid level in the control tank to drop.

According to the report, plant personnel immediately suspended operations, stabilizing the liquid level in the control tank. “Unit 1 also maintained safe and stable operation, with parameters within normal limits, and it did not affect the safety of the plant, its personnel, the surrounding population, or the environment,” the report states.

After the final report, the power plant classified the occurrence on March 17 as a Level 0 deviation event and reported the incident to the national supervision and control authority.

The International Nuclear Incident Scale (INES) classifies nuclear incidents from Levels 1 to 7. Events classified from Levels 1 to 3 are considered incidents, Levels 4 to 7 are classified as accidents, and Level 0 is considered a deviation from regular operation and is not included in INES.

Level 0 classification reports are used as operational experience.

Local authorities were notified under the Cooperation Agreement on Emergency Management of Nuclear Accidents at Guangdong Nuclear Power Plants.