China fines nuclear component manufacturer over safety breaches
22/02/2017 06:19
BEIJING, Feb 22 (Reuters) - China has fined a manufacturer
of components used in nuclear power plants for safety breaches
at two facilities, the environment ministry said.
Dalian Teikoku Canned Motor Pump Co., Ltd , a wholly-owned
unit of Japan's Teikoku Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd,
6333.T , was found to have violated operating rules concerning
unit welding at the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station in Guangdong
province, according to a statement posted on the Ministry of
Environmental Protection (MEP)'s website on Feb. 14.
The company also failed to register the design of a canned
motor pump to be used in the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Station in
Liaoning Province, according to the MEP. Canned motor pumps are
designed to offer greater protection against leaks compared with
conventional pumps.
The MEP demanded Dalian Teikoku immediately halt the
unauthorized activities and pay a fine of 200,000 yuan
($29,064.28). It also revoked the qualification licence of a
welder who undertook work at the Yangjiang facility.
Safety in China's nuclear industry has become increasingly
important as the country seeks to increase exports of its
nuclear technologies. Beijing has already signed agreements to
build reactors in Argentina, Romania, Egypt and Kenya.
China plans to build more than 60 nuclear plants in the
coming decade and will see total domestic capacity rise to 58
gigawatts by the end of 2020. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1BS3VB urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1F320C
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a
report into China's nuclear safety last year saying that China's
own nuclear safety record has been strong but needs "further
work" in areas such as waste management and handling ageing
plants. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1BK2VD
($1 = 6.8813 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Christian
Schmollinger)
((LushaZhang1@thomsonreuters.com; 8610-66271276;))
Keywords: CHINA NUCLEAR/