China admits to concern about safety of AREVA’s nuclear reactors

China says no fuel loading at Areva-designed reactor until safety issues cleared

SHANGHAI, APRIL 16 (Reuters) – China will not load fuel at two EPR nuclear reactors designed by France’s Areva until recent safety issues have been fully resolved, the environment ministry said, its first response to faults detected at a similar reactor in France.

Parts of the Taishan 1 and 2 nuclear reactors under construction in the southern province of Guangdong were made by the same manufacturer that supplied the reactor vessel for EDF’s EPR in Normandy, the site of anomalies found by France’s nuclear watchdog ASN last week………

rapid capacity expansion plan has been subject to delays, with the country’s approval process suspended after the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011. No new projects were given the go-ahead until earlier this year.

The construction of the world’s first AP1000 reactor, designed by the U.S.-based Westinghouse, has also been delayed as a result of design problems, and is now set to be completed next year. (Reporting By Shanghai Newsroom and David Stanway; Editing by Vincent Baby) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/16/china-nuclear-areva-idUSL4N0XD3AU20150416

April 17, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized

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