Macao’s Unitary Police Service has today received a notice regarding an operational event at a facility run by Taishan Nuclear Power Plant.

The notice was given by Guangdong Province’s Emergency Management Office, via the mechanism established under the “Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Consensus in Case of a Guangdong Nuclear Power Plant Emergency”.

On 20 August, Unit 1 of the nuclear power plant had been running normally. At 4.50pm, a planned activation of the unit’s electric ventilation system was carried out and staff found two insulation dampers – attached to the pipes linking to the fourth portion of the control panel ventilation system – were set in manual control mode. It meant that the normal capability of the equipment to receive a signal allowing it to be isolated automatically was not available at that time. At 5.46pm, that function was restored to normal.

According to the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, measured over seven levels, this operational event was a “Below Scale”, i.e. “Level 0" event. This meant it had no significance in terms of either the safe operation of the nuclear power station, the health of its staff, the safety of the nearby public, or the protection of the environment.