China: Authorities report cracked fuel rods at a nuclear plant in Taishan, June 16 /update 1

Event

On June 16, Chinese officials confirmed several cracked fuel rods at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province. Authorities estimate that five out of a total of 60,000 fuel rod casings are damaged; the ratio is reportedly within safety limits. Monitoring stations in mainland China and Hong Kong have not reported any significant or dangerous increase in radiation levels outside the facility.

The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant is located approximately 97 km (60 miles) west-southwest of Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

Context

Concerns about operations at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant increased following recent media reports of US officials monitoring the facility for potential hazards. However, no authorities in any country have claimed the situation currently represents a significant threat to either staff at the facility or the general public in the surrounding area. Cracked fuel rods may be disruptive to operations at nuclear power plants. Still, they are fairly commonplace at nuclear power plants globally and are almost always resolved without creating significant hazards to nearby areas. According to a French company that is the joint operator of the facility, concentrations of noble gases increased in some areas within the plant in recent days. Elevated concentrations of noble gases are consistent with the presence of cracked fuel rods. French employees may have contacted US officials about the situation because the China General Nuclear Power Group, the main owner and operator for the facility, faces US sanctions; such sanctions typically require US officials to grant waivers for companies to acquire US technology and components. Potential US government reviews of sanction waivers and related monitoring of the plant may have attracted media attention to the incident.