Leakage in the nuclear power plant of China; America engaged in study

China, along with a French company, started construction of the Taishan plant in 2009, followed by power generation in 2018 and 2019. 

Ground Report | New Delhi: The US government has spent the past week assessing a report of a leak at a Chinese nuclear power plant after a French company warned of an "imminent radiological hazard" according to a report, information has been received about leakage in the nuclear power plant of China. 

Now the US government has been studying this report for the past week. In fact, a French company was also a participant in the Chinese nuclear power plant. The same company had warned about a possible radiological hazard due to the leakage. 

After looking at the information received from US officials and documents related to the case, 'CNN' has disclosed this whole matter. The French company also said that this nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province should not shut down, even before Chinese security officials have increased the allowable limit of radiation outside it. The French company has written a letter to the US Department of Energy in this regard. 

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A warning from a French nuclear company

The warning included an allegation that the Chinese safety authority was raising the allowable limit for radiation detection outside the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong province, in order to avoid shutting it down, according to a letter to the French company's US department.

Despite the letter from the French company Framatome, the Biden administration currently feels that the situation at the nuclear plant is still under control. US officials say the current situation does not pose a threat to the workers at the plant and to Chinese citizens. However, it is strange in itself that a foreign company is seeking help from the US government while its Chinese partner is still unaware of the problem. 

However, the situation may not be alarming but it is a matter of concern. The National Security Council of America held frequent meetings on this issue last week. Apart from this, the Biden administration has discussed the situation with the French government and their own experts in the Department of Energy. 

While US officials have recognized that the situation does not currently pose a serious safety threat to workers at the plant or the Chinese public, it is unusual that a foreign company would unilaterally reach out to the US government for help when its Chinese state-owned The participant has not yet to acknowledge that a problem exists. If the leak continues or becomes more severe without a fix, the scenario could put the US in a complicated situation.

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China has increased its use of nuclear energy in recent years. Nuclear power accounts for 5 percent of the electricity generated in the country. According to the Nuclear Energy Association of China, at present, there are 16 nuclear plants operating in the country, from which 51,000 MW of electricity is being produced. Taishan of Guangdong province of China has a total population of 9.50 thousand. 

According to the news, the US is also in touch with the Chinese government regarding this issue, although it is not clear how much talk has happened between the two countries so far. The French company has written this letter at a time when the conflict between America and China is at its peak. Important discussion about China was also held in the meeting of G-7 countries which concluded on Sunday itself.

Taishan plant

China has expanded its use of nuclear power in recent years, and it represents about 5% of all electricity produced in the country. According to the China Nuclear Energy Association, as of March 2021, China had 16 operational nuclear plants with 49 nuclear reactors with a total generation capacity of 51,000 MW.

The Taishan plant is a prestigious project built after China signed a nuclear power generation agreement with the Chinalectricité de France, which is primarily owned by the French government. The construction of the plant started in 2009 and both the units started generating electricity in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The city of Taishan has a population of 950,000 and is located in Guangdong province in the southeast of the country, which is home to 126 million residents and a GDP of $1.6 trillion, more than that of Russia and South Korea.

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