[cdn-nucl-l] Engineer blows whistle on China Shipbuilding

["Adam McLean" <adam.mclean@utoronto.ca>]

Posted in the Taipei Times on June 6, 2002 and at:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/06/06/print/0000139153
There has been intense political and social pressure to cease
construction of this plant (not related to the Qinshan reactor in any
way) so who knows how accurate this article really is.  But, more
information about the Lungmen Nuclear Power Station can be found at:
http://www.power-technology.com/projects/lungmen/
And more about the ABWR design from:
http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/designs/abwr/abwr.html
There are two similar ABWR's operating in Japan - Kashiwazaki Kariwa
units 6 and 7:
http://www.nsnet.gr.jp/english/member/commerc/19.html

Adam

-------------------

Engineer blows whistle on China Shipbuilding
POUND FOOLISH: An engineer with one of the firm's contractors reported
that inferior materials were being used to build part of the Fourth
Nuclear Power Plant

By Chiu Yu-Tzu
STAFF REPORTER


According to the Atomic Energy Council (AEC), an engineer blew the
whistle on state-run China Shipbuilding Corp (中船) in April when he
reported that the company had been using inferior materials in the
construction of a reactor pedestal for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

The man, who worked for one of the company's contractors, filed the
report on April 24.

The discovery has resulted in demands by the AEC for the Taiwan Power
Company (Taipower) to rebuild all or most of the pedestal, officials
said yesterday.

"Materials which are are less pressure-resistant used in the
construction [of the reactor pedestal] would certainly affect its
performance, creating safety concerns," AEC Vice Chairman Chiou
Syh-tsong (邱賜聰) said yesterday.

The pedestal reportedly costs about NT$180 million.

After receiving the report, the AEC says it carried out a comprehensive
investigation, including on-site observation and welding material
composition analysis.

"We have no choice but to demand the reconstruction of those elements of
the pedestal that now await assembly at China Shipbuilding, because
results of the composition analysis show that the items could never been
repaired," Shen Li (沈禮), director of the AEC's department of nuclear
regulation, told the Taipei Times yesterday.

According to the AEC, the pedestal contains five components. Shen's
comments refer to four of the components built by China Shipbuilding.
The last component, completed and transferred to the construction site
at the nuclear plant site in Kungliao township, Taipei County, is
awaiting assembly.

Shen said that the AEC had also carried out on-site observations and
welding material composition analysis on the last component of the
pedestal at the plant construction site.

But a final decision on whether to demand the reconstruction of the
final component of the pedestal would be made after the AEC receives a
similar report from Taipower, Shen said. That report is expected within
days. 

In addition, the AEC has ordered Taipower to take responsibility for
mistakes in the plant's construction. Reportedly, high-ranking officials
of Taipower are to be issued warnings over the lapse.

Taipower officials said yesterday that rebuilding the reactor pedestal,
which will support the reactor pressure vessel of Unit 1, would not
delay the completion of the plant, set for 2006.

"Contracted companies should be held responsible for the pedestal's
jerry-built construction, as Taipower has not officially checked and
accepted the reactor pedestal," Taipower President Lin Ching-chi
(林清吉) said in answer to questions raised by reporters at the
legislature yesterday.

Lin said that Taipower is investigating China Shipbuilding's supervision
of its contracted companies. 

Meanwhile, China Shipbuilding Corp has halted the construction of
another of the plant's reactor pedestals. 

Fan Kuang-nan (范光男), deputy managing director of the company, said
yesterday the company hoped Taipower would allow it to continue the
construction of the reactor pedestal for Unit 2 in order to meet the
deadline.

Anti-nuclear activists told the Taipei Times yesterday that they are not
be surprised at errors surrounding the construction, as rumors about
changes in the details of the project have been widespread in Kungliao
since the resumption of construction last year.

"Taipower should is the one to blame because it lacks the capacity to
ensure the quality of construction," said Lai Wei-chieh (賴偉傑),
secretary-general of the Green Citizens' Action Alliance, a Taipei-based
anti-nuclear group.

This story has been viewed 882 times.

URL=[http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/06/06/story/0000139153]