Technician shortage in China 'threatens nuclear plant safety'

[bananas]

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2000147/technician-shortage-china-threatens-nuclear-plant

Technician shortage in China ‘threatens nuclear plant safety’

Cover-up of a mishap in a nuclear power plant west of Hong Kong triggers concerns over a shortage of nuclear technicians, experts say

PUBLISHED : Saturday, 06 August, 2016, 11:52pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 07 August, 2016, 12:23am
Stephen Chen

A recently discovered cover-up of a mishap in a nuclear power plant about 200km west of Hong Kong has triggered concerns over a shortage of nuclear technicians that may threaten the safety of the plants, industry insiders said.

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But the shortage of nuclear professionals may push plant operators to cover up incidents because imposing disciplinary action on professionals would mean means there would be fewer workers to maintain operations.

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A report by China Business News said the Yangjiang incident revealed the severity of China’s nuclear labour shortage and how it threatened the safety of nuclear reactors.

Professor Ai Desheng, a nuclear expert at Tsinghua University, was quoted by the report as saying that China would need 30,000 to 40,000 additional nuclear professionals within the next decade, but the nation could only produce a few hundred nuclear power graduates each year.

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To make matters worse, many experienced operators had been relocated to construction sites of new power plants, putting existing facilities like Daya Bay and Yangjiang under increasing pressure because they did not have enough senior operators. This would severely undermine the safety of nuclear energy in China, some experts warned.

Nuclear technicians worked in a restricted environment, sometimes under high pressure, with incomes that were not comparable with technical jobs in new industries such as internet companies. Ordinary plant operator took home between 8,000 to 11,000 yuan (HK$9,300 - HK$12,800) per month.

Some nuclear operators told China Business News that they were considering leaving the industry due to high work pressure and too little time to spend with their families.

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[bananas]

1. China’s Ambitious Nuclear Energy Plans Could Fizzle Amid Talent Shortage

http://yicaiglobal.com.cn/news/5057664.html

China’s Ambitious Nuclear Energy Plans Could Fizzle Amid Talent Shortage

Lin Chunting, Yicai 2016-08-05

(Yicai Global) Aug. 5 -- A question mark hangs over China's push to meet more of its electricity needs from nuclear energy because of a dearth of experts as professionals and graduates majoring in related fields are plucked for jobs in other industries.

The rapid proliferation of nuclear power plants in the country could lead to a lack of technicians, a former official at the National Energy Administration told Yicai Global. One nuclear power company employee said that it is common for firms to compete fiercely for talent.

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Insiders say the industry lacks specialists with project and management experience aged between 35 and 40. It costs CNY1.5 million (USD226,000) and at least five to six years to train someone to operate a master control system, for example. Official documents seen by Yicai Global show that as of last December, 2,075 people had licenses to operate nuclear plants, while 517 were qualified to operate research reactors.

The number of experts working at state-owned nuclear power stations as well as at construction firms and general contractors fell between late 2008 and early 2009 when nuclear energy expanded significantly, according to a 2014 report in China Nuclear Industry Magazine, an internal publication of China National Nuclear Corporation.

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[JonathanRackham]

3. Or they'll push the envelope with disastrous results.

[JonathanRackham]

2. Not surprised at all.