Electricity of France SA is increasing the iron content of nuclear fuel rod cladding to address a long-standing corrosion problem, as a French newspaper reported that a reactor in China was facing similar problems.
The Chinese operator of the Taishan-1 power plant has extended the refueling stoppage for several months due to the deterioration of the cladding of certain fuel rods, the French investigative and satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine reported on Wednesday, after having first reported the issue last week. The zirconium sheaths of the fuel assemblies supplied by EDF’s Framatome unit do not contain enough iron, specifies the weekly citing an unidentified person.