PowerSwitch

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-57496831

Partial meltdown of fuel rods leading to gas escape and presumably some radiation release, although the Chinese deny this. The plant is joint run with a French company. Not sure of the reactor design or age, I assume it is water cooled. (PWR?) I'm guessing if it wasn't for the French involvement we would never have heard of the incident.

There are some alarmist reports of imminent disaster but I think the main issue is the clampdown on information.

This is the new EPR, same as Hinkley C. The Chinese have managed to build, quickly and within budget what France and Finland have so far failed to do.

More here: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti ... -Taishan-1
And here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -behind-it

I don't think this will escalate into a big deal. Issue first picked up October. It may bring forward the refuelling though, the EPR fuel cycle is around 12-22 months where a third of the fuel assemblies are replaced. I'm not sure 'partial meltdown' is the correct terminology.

A problem like this makes you wonder what corners were cut for the Chinese to have built this "on time and budget"?

It also calls into question the political system which allows for problems to be hushed up as long as the political aim is met. This also brings to mind the troubles that the Russians are having with sunken nuclear submarines and ice breakers while they are building even more. For all the failures of our system we are less tolerant of dangerous failures and more inclined to bring them into the open for discussion.