China's Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in normal condition, IAEA told

The China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) updated the IAEA today about an issue at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). CAEA said the plant is in normal condition and that operational safety is guaranteed. Unit 1 of the plant recently experienced a minor fuel rod cladding failure, which resulted in increased radioactivity in the unit's primary reactor coolant, it said. CAEA said that this situation, as a common phenomenon in NPP operations, is dealt with in accordance with accepted standards and procedures.

According to on-site monitoring and an expert assessment, the unit's performance indicators, including the radioactivity of the primary reactor coolant, remain within the range of normal conditions and technical specifications, CAEA said. It also said the reactor unit's coolant system pressure boundary is intact and that containment integrity is maintained. Continuous environmental radiation monitoring confirms that there has been no radiation release and that there is no environmental concern, CAEA said. The IAEA remains in contact with CAEA.