China hushes nuclear accident, denies it took place

Was there or wasn’t there a dangerous nuclear accident in China last year?

Reports continue to circulate that China was hit by a nuclear accident that forced it to shut down its new China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR) last year. The rumors were triggered by a report from Japan's Atomic Energy Agency that CEFR stopped generating electricity in October following the accident.

Stoking those fears was China’s failure to report the accident or release details of what occurred, said a Japanese report. The same report also said safety standards at CEFR were very low, with a lack of devices to measure potential radiation leaks.

Wan Gang, Director of the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), however, denied there was accident or a cover-up.

"CEFR hasn't been operating since July last year so reports that an accident occurred in the autumn are extremely inconsistent with the facts," Wan said.

He also refuted claims of poor safety, saying five teams were monitoring the reactor around the clock and that there were multiple measures in place to prevent radiation leaks.

CEFR is a fourth-generation reactor and China's first fast reactor. It is a “breeder reactor” capable of generating more fissile material than it consumes. CEFR is a 25 MW(e) prototype for the planned China Prototype Fast Reactor (CFRP).

China plans to source six percent of all its electricity from nuclear power by 2020. There are currently 27 new plants under construction. Work on these plants, however, has been halted since the Fukushima disaster while safety checks are carried out.

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