Amid fears of leak, China nuclear plant operator says reactor shut down for ‘maintenance’

Weeks after the Chinese government admitted damage to fuel rods at a nuclear power plant, the operator said one of its reactors has been shut down for “maintenance”. An increase in radiation inside Unit 1 reactor of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant had sparked fears of a leak, according to a CNN report.

“After lengthy conversations between French and Chinese technical personnel, Taishan Nuclear Power Plant … decided to shut down Unit 1 for maintenance,” China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) said in an online statement.

The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant, owned by CGN and Electricite de France (EDF), began commercial operation in December 2018.