TNAG-1658-FCO40-2306-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1987 — Page 275

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702

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FM HONG KONG

TELNO 3667

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

HKC 166/3

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

TO DESKBY 291300Z FCO

OF 291015Z SEPTEMBER 87

INDE

DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION

30 SEP 1987

PERSONAL FOR HUM, HKD, FROM GOVERNOR.

EGISTR

Son Taken

126112

MDHIAN 5077

CP COPY DIST

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ON 26 SEPTEMBER, THE TWO GOVERNMENT DIRECTORS ON THE BOARD OF THE HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY CHKNIC) WERE TOLD BY THE MANAGING DIRECTOR KNIC (SIR J. CATER) THAT WORK ON THE CONCRETE PLACEMENT OF THE SECOND LAYER OF THE UNIT 1 REACTOR RAFT HAD BEEN SUSPENDED SINCE 15 SEPTEMBER FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY THAT THE SPACING OF THE STEEL REINFORCING BARS FOR THE FIRST LAYER (LOWEST OF FIVE LAYERS) DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE ORGINAL DESIGN. ONLY 260 OF THE REQUIRED 576 REINFORCING BARS HAD BEEN INSTALLED.

2. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER JOINT VENTURE

DE COMPANY (GNPJVC) AND THE CONTRACTOR, TOGETHER WITH ELECTRICITE FRANCE (EDF). SPECIALISTS, ARE NOW CONSIDERING WHAT REMEDIAL ACTION WILL BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE REACTOR FOUNDATION WILL COMPLY FULLY WITH THE ORIGINAL DESIGN SPECIFICATION, TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. SUBSEQUENTLY THE APPROVAL OF THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NNSA) WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE THE WORK I S PUT IN HAND. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE AT PRESENT TO PREDICT HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO DEVISE A SOLUTION, OBTAIN ALL NECESSARY APPROVALS AND HAVE THE REMEDIAL WORKS CARRIED OUT. HOWEVER, GNPJVC HOPES TO COMPLETE THE NECESSARY REMEDIAL WORK SO THAT WORK ON THE SECOND LAYER CAN RESTART BY 31 OCTOBER. (COMMENT: THIS MAY BE OPTIMISTIC).

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ALL PARTIES CONCERNED APPEAR TO BE AWARE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE MATTER AND OF THE NEED TO DECIDE QUICKLY A SOLUTION WHICH WILL MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE FOUNDATION RAFT. THEY ALSO RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE ON-SITE CONTROL PROCEDURES AND ENSURING THAT IMMEDIATE STEPS ARE TAKEN TO AVOID SIMILAR OCCURRENCES IN FUTURE.

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HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT, ALTHOUGH CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO ADOPT AN OPEN AND HONEST ATTITUDE, GNPJVC WOULD PREFER NOT TO GO PUBLIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE TECHNICAL SOLUTION HAS BEEN

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