A flag with the company logo of Electricite de France (EDF) and a French flag fly next to the EDF power plant in Bouchain, near Valenciennes, France, September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/Files
PARIS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A design flaw in the reactor pressure vessel could be the cause of a problem that was made public in June at French company EDF's jointly-owned nuclear power plant in China, a French non-governmental organisation said, quoting a whistleblower.
One of the reactors at the facility in Taishan, which is operated by China General Nuclear Power Group with state-controlled EDF, was halted in August for maintenance pending the outcome of an investigation into fuel damage.
An EDF spokesperson said on Monday the investigation into the fuel damage and the vessel was still under way, adding that the cause of the problem could not be determined before that investigation is completed.
The decision to stop the reactor was taken after EDF said in mid-June it was examining a potential issue at the nuclear power station linked to a build-up of inert gases. At the time, U.S. news network CNN reported that the U.S. government was looking into reports of leaks and a potential radiological threat.
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