The Chinese government has acknowledged damage to fuel rods at a nuclear power plant in the south of the country, but said no radioactivity had leaked

Taishan nuclear plant: China admits damage to fuel rods

submited by
Style Pass
2021-06-17 10:00:06

The Chinese government has acknowledged damage to fuel rods at a nuclear power plant in the south of the country, but said no radioactivity had leaked.

On Monday, a spokesperson for EDF said a problem with fuel rods had led to the build-up of gases, which had to be released into the atmosphere.

In its report, CNN said the company had warned the US government that China's nuclear regulator had raised limits on permissible levels of radiation outside the plant to avoid shutting it down.

The statement - its first official confirmation of the incident - said while the regulator, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), had reviewed the use of noble gases in a reactor, this had "nothing to do with the detection of radiation outside the nuclear plant".

Noble gases - also known as inert gases - are a group of stable chemical elements which have very low reactivity. They are often used in situations where scientists do not want chemical reactions, for instance in nuclear reactors or lighting.

Leave a Comment