Taishan nuclear power plant operation starts

The Taishan nuclear power plant

Taishan nuclear power plant in Guangdong province begun its operation earlier this month,  the Unitary Police Service confirmed yesterday. “Data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shows that the reactor has reached first criticality, the point at which a nuclear reaction begins, on June 6, although CGN Power, the plant’s major shareholder, did not officially announce the start-up on its website,” the report reads.

China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) conducted a safety inspection at Unit 1 of the Taishan nuclear power plant earlier this month, having pointed out six major issues concerning said unit.

NNSA suggested that the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture
“enhances skill training of operators in order to reduce human error.”

According to NNSA’s inspection report, the six major issues are related to malfunctions such as “failure of reactor monitoring systems, and human error in responding to false alarms.”

Last year, one of the key power generation system components of Unit 1 of the Taishan nuclear power plant cracked during an earlier pre-production test, according to a report by the same news agency.

“A ‘boiler’ in Unit 1 appeared to have cracked during functional testing and must be replaced, according to a nuclear plant employee,” the FactWire News Agency report reads.

Last year, members of the civil society had asked the MSAR government to clarify issues related to the emergency plan and possible risks posed by the nuclear plant to Macau’s population. A local delegation visited the nuclear plant to check the safety of the infrastructure.

The head of the Security Forces Coordination Office, Choi Lai Hang, led the local delegation and explained that Macau would not require protective measures, even in the event of a very serious nuclear incident (level 7) at the Taishan nuclear power plant.