16 Jul (NucNet): Unit 2 at the Chinshan nuclear power plant in Taiwan will remain shut down for “anticipated lengthy repairs” after a typhoon hit the island at the weekend.
Typhoon Soulik caused a generator and turbine trip, left a seawater inlet blocked and damaged three fine filters and a travelling filter rake.
In a statement on the incident the regulator, the Atomic Energy Council, said after the generator and turbine trip plant operators decided to shut down Unit 2. However, as they were reducing power they failed to control feedwater properly and the reactor automatically scrammed.
The AEC said the reactor is now safely maintained in shutdown condition.
Damaged components in the plant’s switchyard have been replaced and tested, but Chinshan-2 is not expected to be reconnected to the national grid for several days until the damaged filters are repaired.
The AEC said it had asked for a report on the incident from operator the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) and approval will be needed before the unit can be restarted.
Typhoon Soulik left at least three people dead and more than 100 injured when it hit Taiwan on July 13 and 14. About 59,000 homes in the capital Taipei lost power in what the AEC said was the worst storm damage the city has seen in years.
Chinshan-2, a 604-megawatt boiling water reactor, was the only unit shut down as a result of the typhoon.
The plant’s other unit, Chinshan-1, and the two units at Kuosheng nuclear power plant operated safely at reduced power during the typhoon and returned to full power on Sunday. Taiwan’s third nuclear plant, Maanshan, is in southern Taiwan and was not affected by the typhoon.
For all nuclear power plants in Taiwan, the operating procedure for a typhoon stipulates that operators reduce power below 30 percent if the average wind speed exceeds 32 meters per second for more than 15 minutes. Typhoon Soulik’s wind speed peaks were 40 metres per second, the AEC said.
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To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Dalton at david.dalton@nucnet.org
