Monitoring Guangdong's nuclear power plants
粵核電廠如雨後春筍 安全管理成重中之重
文章日期:2016年6月10日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT is under construction at Taishan, about 130 kilometres away from Hong Kong. However, a component of the pressurised water reactor (PWR), to be supplied by France, has been found to be of doubtful quality, and further tests are being carried out. The matter has caused much concern since it has to do with the safety of the reactor.

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距離本港約130公里的台山,正在興建核電廠,其中由法國供應的壓水式反應堆的部件發現問題,仍在等候覆檢結果。由於問題涉及反應堆安全,自然引起高度關注。

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Construction of the power plant, which is to install a Generation III PWR developed in France, began in 2009. As the Generation III PWR is a new design and has never been in actual operation, the plant is, in a sense, a guinea pig experiment. France has the largest worldwide percentage of its electricity from nuclear power, and its nuclear technology is first-rate. The new design should therefore be safe and should not be the cause of too much alarm. However, last year, the French nuclear safety authorities carried out tests on the Generation III PWR, and found the production process of the metallic reactor pressure vessel defective. The results of further tests are pending. In view of this, nuclear plant construction projects using the same reactor design and the same kind of pressure vessel have been put on hold in both the United Kingdom and France.

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台山核電廠於2009年動工,使用法國設計的最新第三代壓水式反應堆,即是新設計未經實踐驗證,台山核電廠本來就有做「白老鼠」的意味。法國是使用核電比例最高的國家,核電技術成熟,他們的反應堆新設計應該信得過,毋須過於憂慮。不過,去年法國核能安全機構測試第三代壓水式反應堆,發現核燃料金屬壓力殼生產過程有問題,迄今未有覆檢結果,英國和法國採用相同設計及壓力殼的核電項目已經暫時停工。

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When our reporters visited the construction site of the Taishan plant, which is to install a Generation III PWR, the workers said construction work was still in progress. Our reporters have made enquires with the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, a joint venture with French capital, but have got no reply.

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採用同類型反應堆的台山核電廠,據記者到工地採訪,工人表示核電廠仍在興建中;記者向與法國方面合資發展的中國廣核集團查詢,宛如石沉大海、杳無音信。

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The French nuclear safety authorities are understood to have found the pressure vessel of a Generation III PWR at a local nuclear power plant not up to standard: the vessel may burst under pressure. A pressure vessel is a metallic container for the storage of intensely radioactive nuclear fuel, and must be able to withstand extremely high temperatures, pressures, and radiation levels. It is a crucial part of the reactor and, if it bursts, the results can be disastrous. According to documents published by the French authorities, the production process of the Taishan pressure vessel may also be defective, and so further tests are needed. If the vessel is found to be unsafe, the authorities will surely not authorise the start-up of the reactor. Therefore, while the Taishan project is still in progress, there are no safety problems since construction works not directly related to the reactor may in the meantime be carried out. However, we cannot but question the advisability of the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group's refusal to answer media questions.

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據知,法國核能安全機構在當地核電廠驗出第三代反應堆壓力殼不合格,遇壓力有可能破裂;壓力殼是一個金屬容器,用作盛載放射性極強的核燃料,要能夠抵受極高溫度、壓力及輻射。可見壓力殼十分重要,若有破裂,後果可以極其嚴重。法國核能機構的文件指出,台山核電廠採用同一製作過程生產壓力殼,因而亦要覆檢,若壓力殼不過關,相信不會批准啟動反應堆,因此,台山核電廠不停工,不構成安全問題,因為施工做的可以是其他工程。不過,在傳媒查詢下,中廣核集團不予回應,這種取態值得商榷。

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The Daya Bay nuclear plant has been in operation for about 30 years, and because of its excellent design and strict management regime there have been no major accidents. A notification mechanism, by which the Hong Kong government is kept informed of all kinds of emergency situations, ensures the transparency of the plant's operation, and has greatly helped establish Hong Kong people's confidence in the safety of the plant.

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大亞灣核電廠投產約30年,並未發生過嚴重事故,這是設計完善與管理嚴謹的結果,其中包括制定對港府通報不同事故的機制,已經確立的透明度,對本港市民對大亞灣核電廠的信心和信任,十分重要。

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For Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Guangdong, nuclear plant safety is an important issue. Should there be an accident, these densely populated areas will suffer the most appalling consequences. Therefore the Guangdong authorities should attach the utmost importance to monitoring all the nuclear power plants in the province. What the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group should do is to enhance its transparency and inform the public of the problems of the reactor pressure vessel for the Taishan plant. It is through attention to details like this that the Guangdong authorities may show their commitment to the strict regulation of the power plants. And this commitment will help dispel suspicions and boost public confidence in nuclear power safety.

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對廣東和香港澳門而言,核電廠安全成為重要議題,若有事故,對這些人口密集地區的破壞,難以想像。因此,廣東省對省內核電廠的監管,應該視為重中之重。眼前是中廣核集團應該增加透明度,向社會交代台山核電廠反應堆壓力殼的問題,從小處體現廣東當局對核電廠規管嚴謹,消除疑慮,增加民衆對核電的信心。

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明報社評2016.03.08

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Ms CHAN, Zoe Ka-ling
Lecturer, HKCC
www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/social_communication/details.php?id=82&lang=eng

焦妮娜
講師
www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/social_communication/details.php?id=108&lang=chi

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