Government and Policy

'No radiation leak at nuclear plant'

By Zhang Yuchen and Chen Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-16 09:19

SHENZHEN - The Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant confirmed in an official statement on Tuesday night that no radiation leakage occurred at the nuclear station last month.

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Continuous environmental monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in the plant and the surrounding areas show that no change took place in the background data measured before the plant went into operation 15 years ago, meaning no leakage took place, said the statement published on the website of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations and Management Co Ltd .

Established in March 2003, the company is responsible for the operation and management of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant.

The statement was released in response to earlier media reports that on May 23 the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant had suffered a radiation leak, which posed a threat to public safety.

The company said in the statement that on May 23 a fuel rod at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant experienced a "very small leakage", which slightly increased radioactivity levels in the cooling water for the Unit 2 nuclear reactor.

The leak was completely quarantined and, therefore, "had no impact on the public", the statement said, adding that such incidents occasionally happen at nuclear power stations around the world.

The radiation level of the Unit 2 reactor is now within the normal range, the safest of the three levels, and operations at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant had not been affected, according to the statement.

The company has notified the National Nuclear Safety Administration and the Daya Bay Nuclear Safety Consultative Committee and promised to transparently report any further incidents that take place.

The Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant is located in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, approximately 52 km from Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui district.

The facility annually generates nearly 15 billion kWh, 70 percent of which is supplied to Hong Kong, while the other 30 percent is used to fuel Guangdong province, according to the company website.