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earlier, according to Argus’ estimate based on EDF said it was working The presence of certain noble gases in the
data from state-controlled generation firm primary circuit is a known phenomenon,
EVN. Renewable power generation rose to to resolve a “performance studied and provided for in the reactor
2.85TWh last month, up from 1.06TWh a operating procedures.
year earlier. issue” at the Taishan EDF has made contact with the TNPJVC
Coal-fired generation of 12.65TWh in teams and provides its expertise.
May was flat on the year but rose from April’s nuclear power plant in EDF, as shareholder of TNPJVC, has
11.7TWh amid a surge in demand because of requested the holding of an extraordinary
hot weather conditions. It accounted for the China following claims of a TNPJVC board of directors meeting for
biggest portion of the country’s generation management to present all the data and the
mix. potential leak. necessary decisions.
Coal may continue to meet the bulk of A spokesman told AFP the gas leaked
Vietnam’s energy needs in the coming years EDF Energy confirmed that gases that had after the coating on some of the fuel rods
despite the country’s renewable energy built up in a component of the plant were deteriorated. Fuel rods are sealed metal tubes
push. Vietnam’s government has pared its deliberately released. which hold nuclear materials used to fuel the
2030 target for installed coal-fired capacity, A spokesperson said this was because of a nuclear reactor.
although imported-coal-fired generation fuel rod problem, the BBC reported. The International Atomic Energy Agency
capacity is still expected to more than triple. “We are not in a scenario of an accident (IAEA) announced it has “no indication that a
The country’s industrial output in May with a melting core,” an EDF spokesman who radiological incident occurred”.
jumped from a year earlier but eased from did not want to be named told AFP news The agency, which is the UN’s nuclear
April amid a rise in coronavirus cases. The agency. watchdog, said it had contacted counterparts
latest curbs could dent some industrial activity “We are not talking about contamination, in China about the issue.
and further weigh on demand for imported we are talking about controlled emissions.” CNN reported that French engineering
coal. It comes after CNN reported that the US company Framatome, which is owned by
Overall electricity generation rose to government had been assessing reports of a EDF Energy and designed the reactor, had
22.5TWh last month from 20.4TWh a leak at the Taishan plant. sent a letter to the US Department of Energy,
year earlier, according to Vietnam’s general The facility’s Chinese part-owner, China warning them of the potential leak.
statistics office. Electricity generation reached Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, refuted It also warned that the Chinese safety
21.3TWh in April. claims of a leak. authority was raising the acceptable limits
EDF said that it had been informed of the for radiation detection outside the plant to
increase in the concentration of certain noble prevent it from being shut down.
gases in the primary circuit of reactor n°1 of
NUCLEAR the Taishan nuclear power plant, belonging to
and operated by TNPJVC, a joint-venture of
CGN (70%) and EDF (30%).

Week 24 16•June•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P15