On May 4, the Hong Kong Security Bureau announced that it had received a report from the Guangdong Nuclear Emergency Office that two rolled-up foreign objects had been found in the steam generator of a unit at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant recently. The objects have been removed, and investigations into their source and related analysis are currently underway.
The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant is located approximately 130 kilometers away from Hong Kong.
According to a news release from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, a spokesperson for the Security Bureau stated on May 4 that the Guangdong Nuclear Emergency Office had reported an operational incident at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant to the Security Bureau. On April 30, the Unit 1 of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant entered a planned shutdown state for maintenance, and during a visual inspection of the third steam generator, foreign objects were discovered.
By May 2, the inspection had been completed, revealing a total of two rolled-up foreign objects measuring 1.5 cm by 1.5 cm and 3.5 cm by 1.3 cm respectively. The objects have been removed, and investigations into their source and related analysis are ongoing at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant.
The Security Bureau affirmed that throughout the handling process, Unit 1 remained in a safe state, with all three safety barriers intact and no release of radioactive materials to the outside. The incident had no impact on the safety of the plant, the health of employees, the surrounding public, or the environment.
In accordance with the international classification standards for nuclear events and nuclear safety regulations, the situation was classified as a Level 0 deviation on May 1.
Earlier in June 2021, Unit 1 of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant did experience a fuel rod damage fault, but authorities denied any radiation leakage incident.
Public records show that Guangdong has four operational nuclear power plants, including the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, the Ling’ao Nuclear Power Plant, the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Plant, and the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant.