French Firm Warns Of Potential "Imminent Radiological Threat" At Nuclear Power Plant In China
A French nuclear company has told the US government that a power plant in China could be an "imminent radiological threat” following reports of a radioactive gas leak, according to US officials and documents reviewed by CNN.
The scale of the problem isn’t clear, but the situation is currently not said to be at “crisis level.” Furthermore, the situation does not currently pose a threat to the safety of plant workers or the public.
The issue appears to relate to the build-up of noble gases in reactor n°1 of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in China's southern Guangdong province. Électricité de France (EDF), the French company that owns 30 percent of the plant, issued a statement saying that it was aware of an increase of certain noble gases in the primary circuit of reactor n°1. However, they added that the presence of the gases in the primary circuit is “a known phenomenon, studied, and provided for in the reactor operating procedures.” EDF has called for a meeting with its Chinese partner to review data on the plant.
While the power plant is permitted to release a restricted amount of gas into the surrounding environment, some suspect that too much is being leaked, indicating there may be a problem afoot. Framatome, a subsidiary of EDF that provides nuclear equipment and services, reportedly reached out to the US Department of Energy due to their concerns, saying that Chinese safety authorities were raising the acceptable limits for radiation detection outside the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant to prevent it from shutting down.
"The situation is an imminent radiological threat to the site and to the public and Framatome urgently requests permission to transfer technical data and assistance as may be necessary to return the plant to normal operation," according to a June 8 memo seen by CNN from an expert at Framatome to the US Energy Department
Framatome has since publicly said it’s working to resolve a “performance issue” at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant, but was otherwise thin on details.
"Framatome is supporting resolution of a performance issue with the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, China. According to the data available, the plant is operating within the safety parameters," the company said in a statement on June 14. "Our team is working with relevant experts to assess the situation and propose solutions to address any potential issue."
Meanwhile, the Chinese owners of the plant have suggested that nothing is wrong. The China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, the state-run company that owns the majority share of the power plant, said in a statement on Sunday evening that “the environmental indicators of Taishan Nuclear Power Plant and its surroundings are normal.”
Taishan Nuclear Power Plant appears to have released the gas before. Back in early April 2021, the Security Bureau of Hong Kong, which is relatively close to Taishan, said the power plant carried out a “special operation of the exhaust gas treatment system” that saw the release of a “very small amount of gas.” However, the Hong Kong Observatory, which monitors radiation around the city, shows that radiation levels in the city were normal on Monday June 14.
Exclusive: US assessing reported leak at Chinese nuclear power facility
(CNN)The US government has spent the past week assessing a report of a leak at a Chinese nuclear power plant, after a French company that part owns and helps operate it warned of an "imminent radiological threat," according to US officials and documents reviewed by CNN.
The Biden administration has discussed the situation with the French government and their own experts at the Department of Energy, sources said. The US has also been in contact with the Chinese government, US officials said, though the extent of that contact is unclear.
The US government declined to explain the assessment but officials at the NSC, State Department and the Department of Energy insisted that if there were any risk to the Chinese public, the US would be required to make it known under current treaties related to nuclear accidents.
Framatome had reached out to the US in order to obtain a waiver that would allow them to share American technical assistance in order to resolve the issue at the Chinese plant. There are only two reasons why this waiver would be granted, and one is an "imminent radiological threat," the same verbiage used in the June 8 memo.
The memo claims the Chinese limit was increased to exceed French standards, yet it remains unclear how that compares to US limits.
"It is not surprising that the French would reach out," according to Cheryl Rofer, a nuclear scientist who retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2001. "In general, this sort of thing is not extraordinary, particularly if they think the country they are contacting has some special ability to help."
"But China likes to project that everything is just fine, all the time," she added.
The US could give permission for Framatome to provide the technical assistance or support to help resolve the issue, but it is the Chinese government's decision whether the incident requires shutting down the plant completely, the documents obtained by CNN indicate.
Ultimately, the June 8 request for assistance from Framatome is the only reason why the US became involved in the situation at all, multiple sources told CNN.
However, the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant published a statement on its website Sunday night local time, maintaining that environmental readings for both the plant and its surrounding area were "normal."
The two nuclear reactors in Taishan are both operational, the statement said, adding that Unit 2 had recently completed an "overhaul" and "successfully connected to the grid on June 10, 2021." The statement did not define why or how the plant was overhauled.
"Since it was put into commercial operation, the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant has strictly controlled the operation of the units in accordance with operating license documents and technical procedures. All operating indicators of the two units have met the requirements of nuclear safety regulations and power plant technical specifications," the statement noted.
In a separate statement Friday, hours after CNN first reached out for comment, Framatome acknowledged the company "is supporting resolution of a performance issue with the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, China."
"According to the data available, the plant is operating within the safety parameters. Our team is working with relevant experts to assess the situation and propose solutions to address any potential issue," the statement added.
Framatome would not directly address the content of the letter to the Department of Energy when asked by CNN.
The letter comes as tensions between Beijing and Washington remain high and as G7 leaders met this weekend in the United Kingdom with China an important topic of discussion. There are no indications the reports of a leak were discussed at a high level at the summit.
French utility company Electrictie de France (EDF) said in a statement it has been informed of an increase concentration of "noble gases in the primary circuit" of reactor number one of the Taishan nuclear power plant.
EDF holds a 30% stake in the company with Chinese state energy company China General Nuclear Power Group in TNPJVC, which owns and operates the power plant in southern China.
EDF says "the presence of certain noble gases in the primary circuit is a known phenomenon, studied and provided for in the reactor operating procedures," but did not elaborate on gas levels.
Later on Monday, a spokesperson for EDF said the increased levels of radiation were caused by a "degradation of the housing of the fuel rods."
The spokesperson affirmed that the levels of radioactivity observed at the plant were below the threshold stipulated by the Chinese authorities, adding that the affected housings are the first of three containment barriers between the rods and the atmosphere.
The spokesperson noted that the risk of a potential leakage in the rod housing was first discussed following a planned refueling outage in October 2020 after initial measurements led to suspicions of a "lack of tightness" in the housings.
However, the spokesperson stressed that without a full analysis, it is too early to confirm whether a complete shutdown of the reactor is needed, adding that EDF currently has no information regarding the origin of the rod housing degradation.
CNN has reached out to the Chinese authorities in Beijing and Guangdong province, where the plant is located, and the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC. None have responded directly, though China is amidst a three-day national holiday that runs through the end of Monday.
A warning from a French nuclear company
The issue first emerged when Framatome, a French designer and supplier of nuclear equipment and services that was contracted to help construct and operate the Chinese-French plant, reached out to the US Department of Energy late last month informing them of a potential issue at the Chinese nuclear plant.
The company, mainly owned by EDF, the French utility company, then submitted an operational safety assistance request on June 3, formally asking for a waiver that would allow them to address an urgent safety matter, to the Department of Energy, warning American officials that the nuclear reactor is leaking fission gas.
The company followed up with DOE on June 8 asking for an expedited review of their request, according to a memo obtained by CNN.
"The situation is an imminent radiological threat to the site and to the public and Framatome urgently requests permission to transfer technical data and assistance as may be necessary to return the plant to normal operation," read the June 8 memo from the company's subject matter expert to the Energy Department.
Framatome reached out to the US government for assistance, the document indicates, because a Chinese government agency was continuing to increase its limits on the amount of gas that could safely be released from the facility without shutting it down, according to the documents reviewed by CNN.
When asked by CNN for comment, the Energy Department did not directly address the memo's claim that China was raising the limits.
In the June 8 memo, Framatome informed DOE the Chinese safety authority has continued to raise regulatory "off-site dose limits." It also says the company suspects that limit might be increased again as to keep the leaking reactor running despite safety concerns for the surrounding population.
"To ensure off-site dose limits are maintained within acceptable bounds to not cause undue harm to the surrounding population, TNPJVC (operator of Taishan-1) is required to comply with an regulatory limit and otherwise shut the reactor down if such a limit is exceeded," the June 8 memo reads.
It notes that this limit was established at a level consistent with what is dictated by the French safety authority, but "due to the increasing number of failures," China's safety authority, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) has since revised the limit to more than double the initial release, "which in turn increases off-site risk to the public and on-site workers."
As of May 30, the Taishan reactor had reached 90% of the allegedly revised limit, the memo adds, noting concerns the plant operator may be "petitioning the NNSA to further increase the shutdown limit on an exigent basis in an effort to keep running which in turn would continue to increase the risk to the off-site population and the workers at the plant site."
The NNSA is China's nuclear safety regulatory authority. It oversees the implementation of safety standards at facilities like Taishan.
The US State Department came into possession of the June 8 letter and immediately began engaging with interagency partners and with the French government, State Department officials said.
Over the course of 48-72 hours, the US government has been in repeated contact with French officials and US technical experts at DOE, State Department officials said, noting that this flurry of activity was due to the June 8 letter.
Subsequently, there were several urgent questions for the French government and Framatome, they added. CNN has reached out to the French embassy in Washington for comment.
Still, Rofer, the retired nuclear scientist, warns that a gas leak could indicate bigger problems.
"If they do have a gas leak, that indicates some of their containment is broken," Rofer said. "It also argues that maybe some of the fuel elements could be broken, which would be a more serious problem."
"That would be a reason for shutting down the reactor and would then require the reactor to be refueled," Rofer told CNN, adding that removing the fuel elements must be done carefully.
For now, US officials do not think the leak is at "crisis level," but acknowledge it is increasing and bears monitoring, the source familiar with the situation told CNN.
While there is a chance the situation could become a disaster, US officials currently believe it is more likely that it will not become one, the source added.
China has expanded its use of nuclear energy in recent years, and it represents about 5% of all power generated in the country. According to China Nuclear Energy Association, there were 16 operational nuclear plants with 49 nuclear reactors in China as of March 2021, with the total generation capacity of 51,000 megawatts.
The Taishan plant is a prestige project built after China signed a nuclear electricity generation agreement with Électricité de France, which is mainly owned by the French government. The construction of the plant started in 2009, and the two units started generating electricity in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly described the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA). It is China's nuclear safety regulatory authority.
What China's rapidly expanding nuclear industry means for the West
Beijing understands how electricity can be used to build an empire
Nick Butler is a visiting professor at King's College London and a former senior executive at energy company BP.
On Mar. 11, Pakistan inaugurated its most recent and largest civil nuclear power project with the opening of the 1.1-gigawatt plant in Karachi, doubling the capacity of Pakistan's four existing nuclear facilities. A second similar unit is due to come online in the coming months.
The event marked a significant step for Pakistan which needs additional capacity from all sources to bolster its existing inadequate power supplies. But even more important was the fact that the plant was built and will be operated by the state-owned China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC), one of the companies leading Beijing's drive to join the very short list of countries with the capability to build and operate civil nuclear power projects around the world.
The development of China's nuclear industry over the last decade has been remarkable. With over 30 new reactors commissioned and another 16 under construction, China is now the main source of growth for nuclear power across the world.
With the U.S. and the European Union both pulling back from the use of nuclear power and Japan still constrained by the legacy of the Fukushima tragedy a decade ago, the expansion of China's growth has been crucial in maintaining nuclear's share of around 10% of global energy demand.
That growth is just the beginning. The objective is to create a closed cycle, self-reliant nuclear industry within China from the processing of uranium to produce fuel for the reactors through to construction and management of the operating plants. This is being achieved through the adaptation of international technology, in particular from Westinghouse into new Chinese designed reactors. In the process, the Chinese nuclear industry will reduce or eliminate the role of the foreign companies whose capabilities established the first wave of development.
The other part of the Chinese strategy is to create an export industry, with the plan focused on a range of countries lacking resources of their own and, in most cases, also lacking the technical skills to develop their own indigenous nuclear skills.
The Chinese plants will be low-cost, using techniques such as modular construction to put together reactors which are simpler than many of those being built in the West. The low costs of the export reactors will also be underpinned by Chinese funding through soft loans and generous long-term management contracts.
A decade ago, many in the Chinese industry saw the opportunity to participate in the renewal of the nuclear sector in Western countries, including the U.K., to build knowledge of the market.
The leading Chinese nuclear company, the China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), formerly the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, joined the French state company Electricite de France (EDF) in the U.K. in funding a third of the Hinkley Point project. Their aim was to secure the opportunity to go on to build, own and operate a Chinese reactor in Britain, beginning with a new plant at Bradwell in Essex.
That project has now been set back by the deterioration in relations between Britain and China over Hong Kong, the exclusion of the telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies and the abuse of the Uighur community in the Xinjiang region of Northwest China. China's strategy of securing a foothold in the U.K. has, however, been overtaken by ventures across Asia, Africa and Latin America, where additional electricity is much needed to support growing populations.
Chairman of EDF Group Jean-Bernard Levy, front left, Britain's Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark, front center, and chairman of CGN He Yu, front right, attend a signing ceremony to finalize the deal to build Hinkley Point in September 2016 in London: the project has been set back by the deteriorated relationship between Britain and China. © Reuters
The Karachi reactor is just the latest of these to come onstream, with the World Nuclear Organization listing a dozen different projects at the development or planning stage across a dozen countries from Argentina to Egypt in its recent survey. Many more are under discussion.
The development of skills and technical expertise by Chinese companies in the sector is, of course, backed by the full power of the Chinese state, including typically over 80% Chinese financing.
The development of infrastructure, including power supplies, is also central to the Belt and Road Initiative. Nor is the expansion is just through financing provided by the full range of state-to-state relationships to a degree unmatched by most of its competitors.
The Pakistan reactor, for instance, is just a project under the banner of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which includes many other projects, such as road and port developments. In the nuclear business, Russia remains the main competitor thanks to the extensive technical expertise of the state company Rosatom, but Moscow lacks the funds to match the full support for the major projects offered by Beijing.
The net result is that China, by pursuing its industrial aspirations, is creating a set of relationships and alliances, making full use of the fact that power supplies are crucial for the day-to-day operations of economic life. In the modern world, this is the way in which empires are built.