China Regulators ‘Overwhelmed’ as Reactors Built at Pace
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-18/french-nuclear-regulator-says-china-cooperation-lacking.html
China is moving quickly to become the first country to operate the worlds most powerful atomic reactor even as Frances nuclear regulator says communication and cooperation on safety measures with its Chinese counterparts are lacking.
In the coastal city of Taishan, 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the financial hub of Hong Kong, Chinese builders are entering the final construction stages for two state-of-the-art European Pressurized Reactors. Each will produce about twice as much electricity as the average reactor worldwide.
France has a lot riding on a smooth roll out of Chinas EPRs. The country is home to Areva SA (AREVA), which developed the next-generation reactor, and utility Electricite de France SA, which oversees the project. The two companies, controlled by the French state, need a safe, trouble-free debut in China to ensure a future for their biggest new product in a generation. And French authorities have not hidden their concerns.
Its not always easy to know what is happening at the Taishan site, Stephane Pailler, head of international relations at Frances Autorite de Surete Nucleaire regulator, said in an interview. We dont have a regular relationship with the Chinese on EPR control like we have with the Finnish, said Pailler referring to another EPR plant under construction in Finland.