Officials deny US report of potential leak at China nuclear power plant

A French nuclear firm says it is working to resolve a “performance issue” at a plant it part-owns in China’s southern Guangdong province following a US media report of a potential leak there.

CNN has reported that the US government is assessing a report of a leak at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant after the French company, Framatome, warned of an “imminent radiological threat.”

Framatome says in a statement to AFP that it is “supporting resolution of a performance issue” at the plant.

“According to the data available, the plant is operating within the safety parameters,” the company says. “Our team is working with relevant experts to assess the situation and propose solutions to address any potential issue.”

Citing a letter from Framatome to the US energy department, CNN has said the warning included an accusation that the Chinese safety authority was raising the acceptable limits for radiation outside the facility in order to avoid having to shut it down.

The operator of the power station, state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group, said in a statement last night that “the environmental indicators of Taishan Nuclear Power Plant and its surroundings are normal.”

It did not reference any leak or incident at the power station, which it said meets “the requirements of nuclear safety regulations and power plant technical specifications.”