China Nuclear News Roundup - January 2020

First Barrel of Concrete Poured for the Nuclear Island of Taipingling Unit 1

The NNSA conducted the pre-FCD field examination from the 17th to the 20th of December 2019 and issued approval for pouring the first barrel of concrete at the nuclear island of Taipingling Unit 1 on December 23rd. It was the second FCD of the year, following Zhangzhou Unit 1 in October. This unit is also the second new build of the integrated version of HPR1000, with the first being Zhangzhou Unit 1. The FCD further confirms that China’s self-developed Gen III reactor model is now in the phase of batch construction.

Schedule Delay Announced for Hongyanhe Units 5&6

CGN released a note in late December that Hongyanhe Units 5&6, two ACPR1000 units currently under construction, are now projected to begin commercial operation in the second half of 2021 and first half of 2022, respectively. At the moment, Hongyanhe Unit 5 is under commissioning and Unit 6 is in the equipment installation stage. The two units had their first barrels of concrete poured in March and July 2015, respectively and the adjusted schedule is about one year slower than the originally planned progression. According to the statement, this adjustment is needed “in order to ensure the stable and safe operation of the units once they begin to generate electricity, multiple technical changes and improvements that were carried out during the construction process.”

CNNC & CGN Release End-of-year Statistics on Annual Power Generation

From January to December 2019, CGN’s 24 operating nuclear power units generated 190.191 TWh of electricity, 14.08% up comparing to the previous year. 178.97 TWh of power was dispatched, showing a year-on-year growth of 13.96%. Up till January 2020, CGN’s nuclear fleet has a total installed capacity of 27.14 gigawatts and 5 more units underway to add another 5.78 gigawatts once they complete construction.

CNNC’s nuclear units generated 136.214 TWh of electricity during the same period of time. This total number is slightly low compared to the 140 billion kWh target set at the beginning of 2019, largely due to the 11-month repair of Sanmen Unit 2, which was brought offline after the detection of equipment flaws. Nevertheless, 2019 still saw a 15.64% YoY increase in power generation of CNNC’s fleet. The company’s plan for the new year is 150 TWh.

China Nuclear News Roundup - December 2019

Progress of HPR1000 New Builds

First Barrel of NI Concrete Poured at Zhangzhou Unit 1 – CNNC announced on October 16th that Zhangzhou Unit 1, the first integrated version of the HPR1000 reactor design, poured the first barrel of concrete for its nuclear island. It is viewed as the beginning of a new phase of China’s self-designed Gen III technology – batch construction. CNNP Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company, owner of the NPP and a holding company of CNNP, was co-established by CNNP and China Guodian with 51% and 49% of total shares respectively. The construction approval was granted by NNSA the on October 10th.

Taipingling Project Closer to Construction – the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) released its Review Opinion on Taipingling NPP Project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (Construction Phase) on December 18th. Stakeholders are entitled to request hearings until December 23rd. Taipingling project is believed to pour is first concrete sometime around end of the year.

Fuqing Unit 5 Receives First Batch of Nuclear Fuel – the world’s first HPR1000 unit received its first batch of nuclear fuel on November 26th. A total of 183 fuel bundles and 185 sets of relevant module components were delivered. CNNP’s latest response to an investor’s query says that the project is in preparation for hot testing, which is schedule to take place in mid-December. First fuel-loading will begin after the hot testing.

Cold Testing Finishes at Karachi Unit 2 (K2) – on the early morning of December 2nd (local time), pressure of K2’s primary coolant system reached 22.3 Mpa.g and sustained for 10 minutes. Indicators show that more than 7200 welds and 800 plus mechanical junctures within the test boundary are all leak-proof and test results are satisfactory. Inspectors from Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) witnessed the process and recognized the performance of the unit. It also indicates that cold testing for Karachi Unit 2 has successfully completed.

Haiyang NPP Supplies Nuclear Heating

After more than 6 months’ construction, Haiyang NPP Phase I is now supplying nuclear heating to its surrounding area ranging 700,000 m2. It is also China’s first case of operational commercial NPP supplying heating, demonstrating the application of nuclear heating to future projects. The project saves 23,200 tons of standard coal usage and reduces 60,000 tons of CO2 emission each year; the project is also an equivalent of 5 10-ton coal-fired boiler units. The nuclear heating demonstration project is the first step of Shandong Nuclear Power Company’s long-term strategy of comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy, including seawater desalination and hydrogen production. The subsequent plan is to enlarge the range of nuclear heating supply from 700,000 m2 to 4.5 million square meters by 2021 and to 30 million square meters by 2023, according to Mr. Lin Lingzhi, Chief Design Engineer of SPIC’s State Nuclear Electric Power Planning Design & Research Institute and chief designer of the Haiyang nuclear heating project.

Sanmen Unit 1 Begins First Overhaul

According to Sanmen Nuclear Power Company, Unit 1 of the NPP began its first overhaul on December 2nd and the expected duration is 50 days. The world’s first AP1000 unit has been in commercial operation since September 2018 and has generated a total of 12.702 billion kWh of electricity. The unit did not experience any INES Level-1 or above nuclear incident and there was no unexpected shut-down of the reactor. Sanmen Unit 2 is now operating at full capacity and is planned to begin its first overhaul in early December of 2020.

Framework Agreement for Floating Reactor Demonstration Project’s Early-phase Preparation Signed in Yantai, Shandong Province

CIMC Marine Engineering Research Institute and CNNC Taihai Clean Energy (Shandong) Company has recently signed the framework agreement for the early-phase preparation of the floating NPP demonstration project.

CNNP, Candu, and SNERDI Sign Cooperation Agreement for Advanced Candu Project

On December 2nd, CNNP, SPIC’s Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute (SNERDI) signed a preliminary cooperation agreement with Candu Energy for the advanced Candu reactor project. The three parties report on the status of respective work and agreed to advance relevant work and to make the project realized soon.

Feasibility Reports for Xudapu Units 3&4 and Tianwan Units 7&8 Pass Expert Review

AN expert review conference of Xudapu Units 3&4’s feasibility report was concluded on December 18th in Shenyang.  The expert panel consisted of more than 20 professionals in the industry. The experts conducted a field trip to the Xudapu site and examined relevant reports, materials, plans, etc. After four days’ study and review, the expert panel agreed that the feasibility report was satisfactory. Approval of the feasibility report is another milestone reached since signing of the fuel procure contract with Russia in November 2019.

Similar progress was also carried out for Tianwan Units 7&8, the other two recently-approved VVER units. The expert review conference was held in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, which also lasted for four days and ended on December 16th.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 11/02 -11/08

All of Sino-Russian Contracts Signed for VVER New Builds at Xudapu NPP

On November 6th, During the 2019 China International Import Expo, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Liaoning Nuclear Power Company, and Suneng Nuclear Power Corporation signed a fuel procurement contract for Xudapu Units 3&4 with TVEL, the nuclear fuel manufacturing subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom. Currently, commercial contracts between parties of the two countries are all signed for the VVER new builds. It has been over one year since the signing of the framework contract in last June, and is the largest ever Sino-Russian cooperation project in the civil nuclear industry industry.

CIAE’s Sodium Water Reaction Test Succeeds

On the afternoon of October 31st, as the hydrogen probe’s alarm was set off at the control chamber of the sodium safety testing device at China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), China’s first controlled sodium water reaction test (SWRT), mimicking the operation of a steam generator in a sodium-cooled fast reactor, completed with a success. As a result, the research team obtained key data for the characteristic curve of hydrogen transfer in the high-temperature post-test sodium circuit. Data collected fully met with design expectations, which provides technical basis and valuable practical experience for the larger scale sodium water reaction tests to be carried out in the future. SWRT is one of the core technologies of sodium-cooled fast reactor’s safety design; the success of the experiment specifies that CIEA’s configuration of small leak detection of SG’s sodium water accident was effective.

Shandong Province: Installing 2.7 GW of Nuclear Power by 2020

Since having become China’s first “New and Old Kinetic Energy Conversion” pilot zone in 2018, Shandong Province is determined to transform from high-speed economic growth to high-quality development. Utilization of nuclear energy and development of the nuclear industry has played a critical role in implementing the province’s strategy. According to Luan Jian, Director of Energy Administration of Shandong Province, Shandong will have 2.7 GW of nuclear power installed by 2020 and is aiming at 20.65 GW by 2030. As a demonstration project, Haiyang Units 1&2 have produced 20340 GWh of electric power since Unit 1 was connected to the grid in last October. The NPP will also begin to supply heating power to Haiyang residents this winter, which is a step forward to comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy in Shandong.  

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 10/25 -11/01

NPIC Begins Project to Supply Self-developed Longlin DCS to Zhangzhou HPR1000 Project

The project to supply Zhangzhou NPP’s safety-grade Digital Control Sysytem (DCS) was initiated on October 28th at the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC). Zhangzhou Unit 1 is the first integrated version of the HPR1000 reactor design and it’s also the first time to fully apply CNNC’s self-developed Longlin (龙鳞 ) DCS. More than 40 representatives from Zhangzhou Energy Company, CNPE, NPIC, China Nuclear Control System Engineering Company (CNCS), etc. attended the project initiation ceremony. Mr. Wu Lin, Deputy Director of NPIC, signed the project agreement with Liu Yanyang, head of Zhangzhou Units 1&2’s DCS project.

Load-free Testing of K2’s RCP Motor Completed

On the evening of October 23rd, the RCP motor’s load-free testing was completed at Karachi Unit 2, the HPR1000 unit in Pakistan. All the performance measurements met the requirements, marking the success of the testing. The milestone achieved paves the way for beginning subsequent cold testing.

NNSA Releases Examination Report on Construction Preparation of 2MWt Liquid Fuel Thorium Molten Salt Experiment Reactor

The NNSA released a report on October 24th regarding a study in which delegates from the NNSA conducted a field examination on the construction preparation of CAS Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics’ 2MWt liquid fuel thorium molten salt reactor. According to the report, the project has already made significant planning and preliminary construction progress, including having “established and implemented a quality assurance mechanism, designed  construction plans of the primary reactor hall , completed filing for preliminary plant design documents, and partially filed construction planning documents” and “the concrete foundation base is being poured in accordance with the approved plans”. It also concludes with ten requirements of further improvement, to which the institute must respond by November 15th.

CNNC Raises 1 Billion RMB through Issue of 3-year Bonds

CNNC issued 1 billion RMB worth of 3-year bonds on October 24th through CNNC Capital Holdings Co Ltd., its wholly-owned subsidiary, in Hong Kong. With nearly 3 times of oversubscription, the coupon rate was eventually determined as 3.97%, 38 points less than the initial guiding rate of 4.35%.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 10/12 -10/24

Site Preparation Going Well for HPR1000 New Builds at Fangchenggang NPP

According to Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Company, Fangchenggang Units 5&6, the two HPR1000 (integrated version) new builds, are in the phase of early-stage preparation which was approved to proceed back in August 2017.  At the moment, the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report, Site Safety Analysis Report, and the Project Feasibility Report have all been completed and will be reviewed by relevant regulatory authorities.

Fangchanggang NPP currently has four units. Units 1&2 are CPR1000 reactors, operational since 2016, while Units 3&4 are CGN’s HPR1000 demonstration project, and are still under construction.

Changjiang Phase II Under Preparation

According to Hainan Provincial Government, Phase II of Changjiang NPP has now entered early-stage preparation. Changjiang Units 1&2 began commercial operation in December 2015 and August 2016, respectively, and Units 3&4 were planned to be built after completion of Phase II, while site planning for the NPP was laid out. Once the Phase II units are connected to the grid, nuclear power will account for 50% in the island’s electricity power mix with a total installed capacity of 3700MW.

Fuqing Unit 6’s Condenser Shell Modules Installed

On the morning of October 24th, Fuqing Unit 6’s condenser shell modules were successfully installed in the conventional island. The four shell modules weigh more than 500 tons and they are the largest and most sophisticated parts among the condenser modules.

CGN’s Smart Accelerator Manufacturing Base Sited in Suzhou

CGN Nuclear Technology signed the investment agreement on October 16th and will build China’s first smart accelerator manufacturing base in Suzhou. According to the company, creation of the base is a key move towards implementing their strategic corporate plan. The base will be used for businesses in five major fields, i.e. manufacturing of medical linear accelerators, medical cyclotrons, radiopharmaceuticals, electronic accelerators, as well as proton accelerator equipment. The base aims to enhance and integrate the potential and capabilities of relevant manufacturing industries, talent incubation, marketing efforts, and O&M services so that nuclear technologies can be scaled to industrial applications.

CGN signed the strategic cooperation framework agreement with Suzhou municipal government and Suzhou University this April and phase I project will begin construction in 2020. Medical cyclotron and electronic accelerator manufacturers will be the first batch of tenants.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 09/23 -10/11

Zhangzhou Units 1&2 Pour First Concrete

CNNP released a statement last Friday announcing that Zhangzhou Units 1&2, the two HPR1000 newbuilds, received greenlight from the National Nuclear Safety Administration to pour their first barrel of concrete on October 9th. The project’s approval status was publicly reconfirmed back in January this year, with the planned FCD originally scheduled for June 30th. This milestone for the Zhangzhou project marks only the second NPP project, after the 2017 FCD of the demonstration fast reactor at Xiapu, to pour concrete in more than three years and the only Gen III reactor begins construction after 2016. Worth noting is the fact that the HPR1000 demonstration projects at Fuqing units 5&6, are still under commissioning and not yet operational. This ‘fast-tracking’ of additional HPR1000 builds at Zhangzhou before the demonstration plan is complete is likely considered and justified as a new design demonstration project, since the Zhangzhou HPRs will be the first to fully integrate designs from the separate CNNC and CGN versions.  

China’s First Zero Power Lead-bismuth Eutectic Reactor Reaches Criticality

Qimingxing III (启明星III号), China’s first zero power lead-bismuth eutectic reactor, reached criticality on the morning of October 9th, 2019. This milestone means that the Gen IV fast neutron experimental reactor will now enters the next phase of engineering studies. The Pb-Bi reactor is a Gen IV reactor type, which has higher inherent safety, higher intensity of energy, and longer design life.  

Progress of Tianwan Units 5&6

Unit 5 – On September 6th, Unit 5’s diesel generator was initiated at the DA plant hall.  Measured performance indicators passed relevant requirements. On September 27th, all of Unit 5’s electrical testing was completed and testing results were reported as satisfactory.

Unit 6 – first RPV was installed on September 2nd; moisture separator reheaters for the conventional island were installed on September 4th; primary piping wielding was finished on the 24th and was tested to be 100% qualified; DCS system finished commissioning on 26th.

Fuel Assemblies Successfully Localized and Batch Production Realized

Four sets of CF3 fuel assemblies were loaded into Unit 4 of Qinshan Phase II on September 20th, following the 8 bundles already supplied to Fangjiashan Unit 2 earlier this year. 8 extras are to be supplied to Unit 1 of Qinshan Phase II power plant later this year. The CNNC-developed fuel assemblies are compatible with various reactor types designed by the company, including HPR1000, ACP100 (Linglong One), and the Yanlong low-temperature heating reactor.

CNNC Wins ITER-TAC1 Contract

CNNC has won a consortium contract for the ITER-TAC1 project, with the agreement signing ceremony held on September 30th. By signing the contract, a CNPE Consortium (China Nuclear Power Engineering; China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Company Ltd.; Southwestern Institute of Physics; Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences ASIPP; and Framatome) will be responsible for the TAC 1 Tokamak machine assembly. It is the largest nuclear energy project contract that a Chinese company has ever won in the European market, according to CNNC.  

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 09/16 -09/20

Fuel Assemblies Delivered for HPR1000 Demonstration Project

Fuel assemblies for the world’s first HPR1000 unit, Fuqing Unit 5, was delivered to the NPP’s site in Fujian Province on September 17th. The fuel assemblies was shipped one week ago from Yibin city of Sichuan Province and the delivery marks another milestone on key Gen III nuclear technology localization.

Hainan Province: No More Coal Power Plants and Nuclear Will Be Primary Source of Electric Power

Hainan Province Development and Reform Commission has recently published the Market Access Control and Prohibition Restriction Catalogue (2019 version), prohibiting the development of industries with high energy consumption, high level of pollution and carbon emission, as well as low-tech manufacturing enterprises. Specific roadmap and principle are also laid out for the energy sector: nuclear will become the primary source of electric power of the island, gas power will be mainly used for peaking management and coal power plants will no longer be built. Existing coal power plants will be retrofitted to lower their emission level to that of gas power plants.

China University of Nuclear Technology Begins Construction in Tianjin

Construction of the China University of Nuclear Technology campus began on September 10th. The campus is located in Binhai New District of Tianjin, a coastal area in the eastern part of the city. The project is based on a MOU signed between CNNC and the municipal government of Tianjin in June 2018, which agreed on joint efforts to develop a central higher education base for Chinese civil nuclear industry while serving the purposes of international academic exchange, R&D of new technologies, etc.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 09/09 -09/13

HPR1000 Demonstration Project’s Fuel Assemblies Shipped from Sichuan Province

Fuel assemblies for Fuqing Unit 5, CNNC’s HPR1000 demonstration project, passed pre-shipping inspection and was shipped out from the factory on September 10th. CNNC Jianzhong Nuclear Fuel Element Company (formerly Yibin Nuclear Fuel Element Factory) began the production of fuel elements for Fuqing Unit 5 in November 2018 and completed the task this past August. The HPR1000 reactor design requires 177 fuel rods and needs to refuel every 18 months. Representatives from CNNC leadership, Chinese Academy of Engineering, State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and municipal leaders of Yibin City witnessed the cargo shipment together on site.

MEE’s Department Director-Generals Give Interpretation of China’s Nuclear Safety White Paper

Three department chiefs of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), Mr. Han Wenping, Deputy Director-General of Department of Nuclear Facility Safety Regulation, Mr. Zhou Shirong, Inspector of Department of Nuclear Power Safety Regulation, and Mr. Kang Yufeng, Deputy Director-General of Department of Radiation Source Safety Regulation, received an online interview with people.cn, China’s state-run news portal recently. In the interview they gave an official introduction and interpretation of the Nuclear Safety whitepaper published on September 9th. The white paper, titled China’s Nuclear Safety, is the first document of its kinds to be published by the Chinese government on such a topic. It introduces the history, principles, policies of the development of China’s nuclear safety industry, as well as confirms Chinese government’s commitment to advance global regulation of nuclear safety. According to the whitepaper, China has always held nuclear safety as a national responsibility and will always take it as a prerequisite for developing the nuclear industry. Mr. Kang introduced the status quo of spent fuel handling in China and explained some existing issues and concerns:

“Our nation employs a closed cycle policy for nuclear fuel’s back-end handling, wherein spent fuel reprocessing is the key. In terms of deposition sites of low/medium level radioactive solid wastes, the MEE and other authorities are actively advancing relevant work. At this point, China has built two repository sites for low/medium level radioactive solid wastes and they are currently operating, accepting solid wastes generated by the nuclear industry. in terms of high-end radioactive waste repository sites, we’ve been working on the study of geological disposal since the 1980s and we’ve conducted extensive site surveys. At the moment, an underground laboratory project for high radioactive level waste disposal is under review. Once the construction of the laboratory is completed, further studies and works will be carried out.”

EMP Diesel Generator for K2, Pakistan’s HPR1000, Passes Test Operation  

On the afternoon of September 9th (local time), the EMP diesel generator at Karachi Unit 2 (K2) began operation for the first time and its performance met all relevant requirements. The successful operation marks the completion of the installation work at K2’s diesel generator hall and paves the way for subsequent work, i.e. commissioning of RCP and hydraulic testing for the primary coolant system.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 09/02 -09/08

Haiyang Nuclear Power Units Meets WANO Chemistry Performance Indicator

On August 18, measurements taken by Shandong Nuclear Operations Co. engineers indicated that Haiyang NPP Unit 2 had met parameters established for achieving WANO chemical performance indicators. With Unit 1 having achieved this same bench mark earlier this year, both units have achieved this benchmark. According to WANO, the chemistry performance indicator provides an indication of progress in controlling chemical parameters to retard deterioration of key plant materials and components. These parameters are to be maintained within strict guidance developed by the industry.

First Main Transformer of K3 HPR Installed

At 5 p.m. local time on August 27, Jiangsu 3rd Energy Construction Co. (subsidiary of China Energy Engineering & Construction Group) installed the first main transformer of K3, the third unit of Karachi Nuclear Power Station. On the same day, two high voltage transformers were successfully hoisted and installed in place.

Tianwan Nuclear Power Units 3&4 Refueling Cycle Extended

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) recently issued an announcement approving an extension of the standard refueling schedule for Tianwan NPP Units 3 and 4. A new fuel management plan will be implemented intending to improve the core fuel cycle from one refueling per year to one refueling every 18 months. Tianwan units 3 & 4 are both VVER-1000/B-428 1126MWe PWR nuclear power units.

Huaneng and China Ship Building Sign Cooperation Agreement

On September 3, China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. and China Shipbuilding Industry Group Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement at the Huaneng group headquarters. According to the agreement, the two sides will focus on strategic and mutually beneficial cooperation in offshore nuclear power, as well as other areas of advanced energy technology and applications including wind power, smart microgrid technology, distributed energy technology, and integrated energy services.

Taishan Nuclear Power Unit 2 Enters Commercial Operations Phase

At 17:15 on September 7, Beijing time, Guangdong Taishan Nuclear Power Unit 2 successfully completed 168 hours of demonstration operation, fulfilling the required conditions for officially beginning commercial operations. This is the second EPR unit put into commercial operation in the world after Taishan Nuclear Power Unit 1.

NNSA Publishes Nuclear Safety White Paper

On Tuesday, September 3, 2019, the Information Office of the State Council issued a “White Paper on China's Nuclear Safety” and held a press conference at 10 a.m. in the press release Hall of the Information Office of the State Council on the same day. Mr. Liu Hua, Director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, Mr. Guo Chengzhan, Deputy Director of the State Nuclear Safety Administration, and Xia Yanchun, spokesperson of the Information Office of the State Council, were invited to present and provide commentary on the whitepaper and address questions from journalists in attendance.

National Nuclear Safety Administration: New Build FCDs Fast Approaching

On September 3, Mr. Liu Hua, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Director of the National Nuclear Safety Agency, in response to questions from reporters, confirmed that the nuclear new builds approved by the State Council in early 2019 are currently actively preparing for official construction. He further stated that, in the coming months, Zhangzhou NPP in Fujian Province and Taipingling NPP in Guangdong Province will be approved for FCD upon completing the final safety review currently underway.

Fuqing Nuclear Power Station in Fujian Province Reaches 100 billion kWh in Power Generation

Fujian Fuqing Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. reported on Wednesday that as of September 1, the cumulative commercially generated power of Units 1-4 of Fuqing Nuclear Power Station had exceeded 100 billion kWh. Compared to fossil energy of the same scale, it is equivalent to reducing China’s coal consumption by 30.9 million tons, carbon dioxide emissions by 80.8 million tons, and deforestation by 225,000 hectares.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 08/26 -09/01

World’s First AP1000 Unit Approved for First Refueling

According to an announcement from China Nuclear North Nuclear Fuel Components Co., Ltd., China’s AP1000 at Sanmen unit 1 is ready for its first refueling, with the preparation of its 64 fuel assemblies now underway at domestic production facilities. From its establishment to today’s formal fuel production, the AP1000 nuclear fuel assembly line has been in operation for 11 years.

Production of Sanmen Unit 1’s first refueling load was completed in December 2016, was formally accepted on site without issue in April 2019, and was introduced into containment finally 2 months later. This first fuel change will employ domestically designed storage in shipping the spent fuel; however, issues were discovered with the casks on site, upon which all involved stakeholders conducted various tests to identify the issue and its root cause, and developed a corresponding resolution plan. Through over two months of repair and qualification testing, a simulated shipment test was successfully conducted, clearing the refueling process for continuation.

Ministry of Ecology and Environment: Changjiang NPP Approved to Extend Refueling Period to 18 Months

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently issued an announcement approving the environmental impact assessment documents for construction projects to begin on August 22, 2019 on Units 1 and 2 of Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant. The project is intended to improve the core fuel management strategy, allowing for an additional 6 months between refueling – thus extending the refueling period from 12 months to 18 months.

China’s First Domestic Nuclear Heating Project to be Completed by the End of the Year, with Batch Deployments to Follow

"According to the project plan, Haiyang Nuclear Power will be able to provide 700,000 square meters of heat to the surrounding areas beginning in December this year, and meet the heating demand in Haiyang City in 2021, so as to expand the application of nuclear energy." Zheng Mingguang, chief designer of State Power Investment Corporation’s CAP1400, introduced to reporters at a recent conference organized by SASAC of the State Council.

Commencement of the Haiyang Heating Project at the end of this year represents an important milestone in SPIC’s industrial development strategy. As early as July 5, last year, SPIC established a nuclear heating industry alliance in Harbin, thereby consolidating state owned resources and domestic production capacity towards developing safe and efficient nuclear heating technology for the first market application case in China.

Ningde Unit 1 Experiences Level 1 Operational Incident

On July 8, 2019, Fujian Ningde Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. notified the NNSA of a class 1 operation incident at Unit 1 of Ningde NPP. Although the incident had no actual nuclear safety consequences, similar problems may exist in other power plants and can be avoided through research and root cause analysis. From July 9 to 12, NNSA experts convened at Ningde NPP to conduct an independent investigation and evaluation of the incident.

According to the investigation, the cause of this incident is simultaneous failure of the Plant Water System (SEC) pump motor insulator and power supply switch fuse. Because the incident has a common cause failure with another abnormal occurrence of Unit 1 on the same night, the power plant has declared the event to be a Level 1 Operational Incident in accordance with standard international nuclear classification of nuclear events.

 In addition, as this incident involves material and component failure of motorized equipment of a single batch, the resolution and deposition process of the incident will be more complex. Close attention will be paid to the manufacture and maintenance of related equipment and the operation of other NPPs equipment from the same batch.

Fuqing Unit 6’s All Heavy Equipment Installation in Place

On August 27, Fuqing Unit 6s pressurizer was installed on its vertical supports, with installation and welding of flex piping starting thereafter. This installation milestone marks complete installation of all heavy equipment inside the nuclear island of China’s first HPR1000.

Quality Assurance Manual for Zhangzhou Phase 1 Approved

Recently, the State Nuclear Safety Administration issued a circular on approval of the Quality Assurance Manual, applicable to the Design and Construction Stages of the plant (not operations) for Units 1 and 2 of Zhangzhou NPP Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian Province.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 08/17 -08/26

Tianwan Unit 5’s First Residual Heat Removal Cooler Installed

On August 1st, Tianwan Unit 5’s first emergency residual heat removal cooler was successfully installed. The equipment, developed by Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC), is a key part of the passive residual heat removal system. Subsequent work will be the installation of other primary equipment of the system. Tianwan Units 5&6 are China’s only Gen II+ units which are equipped with a passive residual heat removal system. Application of the system is an important milestone in China’s localization of advanced Gen III technology.

Reactor Internals of China’s Last M310 Unit Delivered

The upper and lower assembly of Tianwan Unit 6’s rector internals were shipped to site last week. It marks that the delivery of China’s last M310 reactor internals was completed. NPIC has developed ten sets of large equipment, including two sets of reactor pressure vessel, six steam generators, and two sets of reactor internals, for Tianwan Units 5&6 and all of them have been shipped to site by sea freight since July 2018.

Fuqing Unit 6’s Pressurizer Cleared for Delivery

On August 14th, Fuqing Unit 6’s pressurizer, designed by NPIC, procured by CNPE, and manufactured by Dongfang Electric, passed the pre-shipping inspection. Manufacturing of the pressurizer took more than 5 years and the result of the pre-shipping inspection marks a great success for all stakeholders. At this point, pressurizers for all four HPR1000 demonstration projects in China and Pakistan have been produced. It’s a vital breakthrough in localization of key nuclear equipment and paves the way for the HPR1000 reactor design to “go out”.

CGN’s A-share Stock Price Surges 44% on Its First Trading Day

August 26th was the first trading day after CGN’s initial public offering was initiated at the end of July. Its stock price went up by 44.18% on the same day, with a market value of 181.3 billion RMB. On the evening of August 21st, CGNPC released its half-year report, revealing that the revenue from January to June 2019 was 26.523 billion RMB, a 15.3% increase than last year, and the 5.023 billion yuan’s worth of net profit also grew 10%. The main reason behind is that Yangjiang Unit 5 and Taishan Unit 1 began commercial operation since July and December 2017, respectively, and thus increase CGNPC’s power sales revenue by 10.1%. The company also states that Taishan Unit 2, the other EPR demonstration unit, will begin commercial operation by end of the year. While CGN’s A-share stock price seems unaffected by the fact of being added to the Entity List, CGNPC’s H-share price dropped 3.20%, however, on the same day.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 08/12 -08/16

CGN Added to the U.S. Entity List

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), a subsidiary agency ensuring export control under the U.S. Department of Commerce, ruled on August 14th to add CGN Power Group and its three subsidiaries to the Entity List. The decision was published on the Federal Register the same day. The four companies are: China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC), China General Nuclear Power Group, China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd., and Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute Co. Ltd. According to BIS, the reason behind is that the “four Chinese entities have engaged in or enabled efforts to acquire advanced U.S. nuclear technology and material for diversion to military use in China,” the same charge DOE used in last October to place any technology transfers to CGN under the 10 CFR Part 810 Export Control. The rule is an escalation of U.S. restrictions on U.S. enterprises’ business interactions with CGN. The Chinese civil nuclear SOE responded soon with a statement that “the impact is under control”. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called the decision a misuse of export controls. “China resolutely opposes the U.S. side harming the interests of China and the world through unilateralist and protectionist policies,” said Ms. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman from MoFA on last Thursday.

Two days earlier, CGNPC had its IPO at Shenzhen Stock Exchange on August 12th and sold out 2.525 billion shares in the A share market.

Tianwan Unit 5 Completes Hydraulic Testing for Secondary Coolant System

On the evening of August 8th, the hydraulic testing for Tianwan Unit 5’s secondary coolant system was completed successfully. This marks the completion of the installation phase for its CI primary piping. The milestone achieved paves the way for subsequent work like cold testing.

Construction of China’s First Medium-sized Tokamak Completed

“Xuanlong-50,” China’s first medium-sized ball-shape tokamak finished construction and achieved first plasma on August 8th in Langfang, Hebei Province.  

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 08/05 -08/09

Taishan Unit 2 Projected to Begin Commercial Operation by End of This Year

Taishan Unit 2 is projected to begin commercial operation in the second half of this year, said Huang Xiaoping, spokesperson of Taishan Nuclear Power JV Company, in a press conference on August 7th. Globally, Taishan Unit 2 is the forth EPR unit to have begun construction, following Taishan Unit 1, and will become the world’s second operational nuclear power reactor of its kind if construction continues as currently scheduled. It was connected to the external transmission grid on June 23rd.

Russian-made VVER Fuel Fabrication Equipment Delivered to Sichuan Province

TVEL JSC, a Rosatom subsidiary engaged in the manufacture of nuclear fuel devices, has supplied a batch of VVER fuel fabrication equipment to CNNC’s Yibin fuel production plant in Sichuan Province. The equipment will be used to modernize the shop-floor for local production of the Russian-designed fuel assemblies to be used in local VVER-1000 reactors, four units of which are operational at Tianwan NPP. Delivery of the equipment is “the first time in history, [TVEL JSC] helped to commence fabrication of Russian design nuclear fuel abroad and [the company] still provide[s] technological support of this facility at the most advanced level,” commented Oleg Grigoriyev, Senior Vice President for Commerce and International Business at TVEL JSC.

Tianwan Unit 5 Completes First RCP Motor’s Unloaded Trail Run

By 6:09 PM of August 3rd, Tianwan Unit 5’s RCP motor had steadily operated for four hours, with all parameters meeting design requirements. The level of performance achieved means a success of the unloaded trail run. The RCP motor was installed into the containment building on July 15th and it took 20 days for field technicians and engineers to complete the trail run, paving a solid foundation for subsequent work.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - April - July

SEC-KSB Finishes Verification Tests for CAP1400’s Prototype Wet Winding Motor RCP

On July 15th, Shanghai Electric-KSB Nuclear Pumps & Valves Company finished all of its verification and dedication tests for the CAP1400’s prototype wet winding motor RCP. Test results indicated that its performance meets all design requirements and the follow-up strip inspection also proved the tests to be successful. The expert review panel officially concluded that the protype product passes the verification examination on July 31st under observation from regulatory authorities. The success marks a very important milestone for the Chinese industry since the R&D process began 8 years ago and also breaks the ‘bottleneck’ of primary equipment supply to the CAP1400 project.

Progress of HPR1000 Demo Project

July 14th witnessed a primary milestone reached by CNNC’s HPR1000 demonstration project. Concrete pouring for Fuqing Unit 5’s outer shell dome was completed, which makes its full height 73.98 meters. It paves the way for hot tests and fuel-loading in the near future.

On June 24th, Fuqing Unit 6 finished primary pipe wielding. The process lasted 162 days, making it 41 days shorter than that of Unit 5.

Yangjiang Unit 6 Begins Commercial Operation

CGN Power released a statement on July 24th, announcing that Yangjiang Unit 6 had completed all required tests and began commercial operation on the same day. The power unit uses an indigenously-developed nuclear power digital control system (DCS), FirmSys, which has its first application at Yangjiang Unit 5. Yangjiang NPP now has six operational units following the milestone.  

Taishan Unit 2 Connected to External Transmission Grid

On June 26th, Taishan Unit 2, the world’s second EPR unit, was connected to the external transmission grid and began generating power. Taishan Unit 2 had its FCD in 2010 and was the fourth EPR unit being constructed in the world. Following the commercial operation of Taishan Unit 1 in last December, grid connection of Unit 2 marks one of the final steps of the completion of the first phase of the project.

NEA: Rongcheng, Zhangzhou, & Taipingling NPP Projects Permitted 

A NEA press conference on July 25th provided insights into the status of China’s planned nuclear newbuilds. Mr. Li Fulong, Chief of NEA’s Development and Planning Department told the press that three NPP projects, namely Rongcheng NPP in Shangdong Province, Zhangzhou NPP in Fujian, and Taipingling in Guangdong, had received project approval towards the end of June. Despite a planned FCD on July 30th for Zhangzhou project released earlier this year, their official FCDs will not be released until the NNSA completes its final inspection required for the construction license. These new project approvals are the first ones in three years, since the last NPP project received approval in 2015. The four approved new builds in Zhangzhou & Taipingling will also be the first time to build an integrated version of CNNC’s and CGN’s respective HPR1000 design.

CNNC Initiates SMR Project in Hainan

China’s first SMR project is underway in Hainan, as announced by CNNC during a contract signing ceremony on July 18th. The Linglong One (玲龙一号) project will feature a single SMR unit with a 125 MW power capacity, utilizing the ACP100 integrated pressurized water design, and will be built at Changjiang NPP in Hainan Province.

CGN Power to Raise CNY 15 Billion in A-share IPO

CGN Power plans to raise CNY 15 billion through an IPO on the A-share market. The company, approved for its listing, will issue no more than 5.049 billion shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. 3 billion of the raised money, according to its prospectus, will be used on Yangjiang Units 5&6 and another 8 billion will be allocated to Fangchenggang Units 3&4, with the rest going towards increasing liquid capital The new shares will be available for purchase, both online and offline, on August 12th.

Radiation Safety Committee Established under China Isotope & Radiation Association

On July 9th, China Isotope & Radiation Association (CIRA) held a conference in Beijing, celebrating the establishment of the Radiation Safety Committee. The committee will assemble experts from relevant companies and organizations, involving the design, application, monitoring, and assessment of nuclear technology, and therefore build up a platform for scientific and industrial studies of radiation safety. It was also announced that Mr. Cheng Li, Deputy Chief Engineer of Nuclear & Radiation Safety Center, is to serve as Director of the Committee. Seven committee members were also elected during the conference.

Qinghai Province Releases Timetable for Nuclear Energy Deployment

Qinghai Province has recently released a notice on its plan on nuclear energy development. According to the notice, a nuclear heating demonstration project will be constructed from 2022 to 2024 with a total investment of CNY 4 billion and a nuclear power plant is scheduled to be built during 2022-2027, with a total investment of CNY 34 billion.

Gansu TMSR’s EIA Report Reviewed by MEE

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) received the environmental impact assessment report of the 2MWt liquid fuel thorium molten salt experimental reactor (TMSR-LF1) project on May 24th.  The TMSR-LF1 is part of the TMSR project located at Hongshagang Industrial Concentration Zone of Minqin County, Gansu Province. A 10MWt solid fuel TMSR (TMSR-SF1) will also be built in the long term, according to the report. TMSR-LF1 began site construction in 2018 and is planned to reach first criticality in 2020.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 04/15 -04/19

SPIC’s Nuclear Heating Demonstration Project Passes Initial Feasibility Examination

The initial feasibility examination for SPIC’s demonstration nuclear heating project in Baishan City of Jilin Province was conducted during April 15 – 17.  The expert panel found the Initial Feasibility Report acceptable, moving the project ahead into the phase of feasibility research. The demonstration project is developed by Jilin Nuclear Power Company, a subsidiary of SPIC, and the initial feasibility research was initiated since October 2018.

Primary Helium Fan of World’s First HTGR Delivered

On April 16th, the primary helium fan of the world’s first HTGR passes the delivery inspection at Shidaowan, Shandong Province, the site of the Gen IV reactor. Harbin Electric successfully developed the fan with proprietary property rights and its subsidiary Jiamusi Electric Motor Company manufactured the equipment set. The primary equipment of a Gen IV nuclear demonstration project is an equivalent of the RCP in a pressurized-water reactor, transferring the heat away from the reactor core.

Fuqing Unit 5 Ready for Cold Commissioning

Field engineers and technicians finished all the pre-commissioning installation on the midnight of April 20th – pretightening of primary bolts, installation of reactor internals and flow-induced vibration (FIV) sensors, as well as the RPV capping. Completion of the reactor’s installation phase is the last milestone before cold commissioning.

Yangjiang Unit 6 Passes Comprehensive Examination Before Issuing of Operation Permit

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has recently released the Comprehensive Examination Report of Yangjiang Unit 6’s prior to issuing its operations permit. According to the report, the NNSA inspected Yangjiang Nuclear Power Company, owner of the nuclear unit, from April 1st – 4th and found that all the nuclear safety-related activities are under control. Yangjiang Unit 6 finished loaded commissioning on February 23rd and it’s expected to begin commercial operation in the second half of this year.  

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 04/06 -04/12

Progress of HPR1000 Demonstration Project

Third Motor of Fuqing Unit 5’s RCP Finishes Coasting Test – On the evening of April 8th, no-load commissioning of all three RCP motors finished as the third motor completed its coasting test. The tasks were accomplished ahead of schedule, which lays a solid foundation for cold testing.

Commissioning Program Permitted by NNSA – The NNSA recently released a notice, stating Fuqing NPP’s application for review of its commissioning program for of Fuqing Units 5&6 was received. The NNSA has found the commissioning program to be acceptable, thus approving the application. The NPP must adhere strictly to the program during commissioning and report to the NNSA and the Eastern Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Inspection Center if any major abnormity.

NNSA Issues Operation Permits for Taishan Units 1&2

The NNSA issued operation permits for Taishan Units 1&2, allowing forty years of operation of the two EPR units. In addition to regular terms and clauses, the Permits specifically indicate that Taishan Nuclear JV is obligated to develop an effective online inspection method for the RPV heads ASAP and submit it for NNSA’s review. Should the NPP operator fail to develop such method, or an unfavorable result is shown from future inspection, the RPV heads would not be allowed to operate after the end of April 2025. The special requirement is a response to the unsolved issue of carbon content in the RPV heads exceeding the standard amount.

Cooperative Development Agreement Signed in Baotou City for Nuclear Heating Project

Last month, the Cooperative Development Agreement on Nuclear Heating Project and Application of Nuclear Technology in Baotou City was signed between the Administration Committee of Baotou Equipment Manufacturing Industry Park and Qidi Xinhe (Beijing) Energy Technology Company. The developer also signed a procurement MOU with CNNC Northern Nuclear Fuel Element Company for future supply of nuclear fuel. According to the framework agreement, the concerned parties will establish a Baotou City Nuclear Heating Project Holding Company to build a pool-style low-temperature reactor in the city to meet the heating demand of the Industry Park and beyond.

Contract Signed for Joint Development of CFR600 Fast Reactor Key Equipment

The China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) has recently signed a contract with Dongfang Electric for joint construction design and equipment procurement of the four major heat exchangers of the DRF600 demonstration fast reactor. The agreement signifies the completion of the development of the heat exchangers and the project is now in the phase of construction designing for the key equipment.

The CFR600 project uses the Gen IV sodium-cooled fast neutron breeding technology and the demo project has been jointly developed by Dongfang Electric and CIAE since 2010. Other than the development of heat exchangers, the equipment manufacturer also holds a supply contract for its steam generator.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 04/01 -04/05

China Nuclear Ramping Up Construction of New Builds

On April 1st, the 2019 Spring International Summit of the China Nuclear Energy Sustainable Development Forum was held in Beijing. “China will keep developing nuclear power while safety is assured, and new projects will begin construction successively this year”, said Mr. Liu Hua, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and Administrator of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), during the summit. Industry insiders believe that eight new builds will secure their approval this year, namely Zhangzhou Units 1&2 and Huizhou/Taipingling Units 1&2 (using the reactor design of HPR1000), as well as two VVERs at Xudapu NPP and two more at Tianwan NPP. Some are also looking for the CAP1400 demonstration project to have its FCD announced in the near future. The four HPR1000 new builds already had their FCDs announced in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports from the MEE, which will be officially confirmed after the NNSA grants their Permits of Construction.

The nuclear units under construction are also progressing well, according to Mr. Yu Jianfeng, Director of the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) and President of CNNC. The four CNNC HPR1000 units under construction, namely Fuqing Units 5&6, together with K2 and K3 in Pakistan, will begin operation on schedule or ahead of schedule. Yu also said that the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) demonstration project in Shidaowan, Rongcheng City, Shandong Province, is currently undergoing the last few steps of commissioning and will begin operation in the early half of next year.

Taishan Unit 2 Reaching First Fuel-loading Soon

According to Mr. Liu Haijun, Vice GM of Taishan Nuclear Joint Venture Company, Taishan Unit 2, the second EPR unit in China, will load its fuel for the first time this month. The unit is projected to begin operation this summer.

Installation of ST Begins at Fuqing Unit 6

On the evening of April 1st, the bearing housing of Fuqing Unit 6’s steam turbine was successfully installed. The milestone accomplished means that the conventional island’s installation phase is now in full swing and paves the way for installation of the turbine itself.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 03/25 -03/29

Progress on HPR1000 Units

CNNC has confirmed recently that the control rod drive mechanisms (CRDM) have been delivered for Fuqing Unit 6 and Karachi Unit 3. At the moment, all four of CNNC’s under construction HPR1000 units, namely Fuqing Units 5&6, Karachi Units 2&3, have their CRDMs prepared.

Following the successful attachment of the upper half of the CI turbine’s medium-high pressure cylinder on March 11th, the low-pressure cylinder underwent the same process and had its upper half buckled last Tuesday. The milestone reached on March 26th means that all three cylinders of the CI turbine are now well installed at Fuqing Unit 5.  

Five days later, on March 31st, power backfeed was successfully achieved through Fuqing Unit 5’s primary transformer. The milestone secures the power source for the incoming commissioning and subsequent work.

China and France Committed to Continue Cooperation in Alternative Energy

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to France from March 24-26th, a series of deals were signed on strategic industries, including civil nuclear projects. On March 25th, a cooperation agreement was signed between the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA). The agreement is a 13th edition renewal of the cooperative agreement initiated more than 30 years ago. On the following day, a MOU was signed by CGN and EDF to further their cooperation on multiples areas, including solar and offshore wind projects.

In addition to the deals signed, French President Macron specifically mentioned the project to build China’s first reprocessing plant. According to Macron, “the dynamic” of the reprocessing project had been accelerated.

On-Grid Tariffs for Imported Gen III Units Released

The NDRC released its Notice on Tentative On-Grid Tariff of the First Batch of Gen III Nuclear Projects earlier today. The commission has decided that the on-grid tariffs (tax included) for Taishan Phase I, Sanmen Phase I, and Haiyang Phase I are CNY 0.4350 per kWh, CNY 0.4203 per kWh, and CNY 0.4151 per kWh. The tentative prices will expire at the end of 2021. The notice refers back to its 2013 rule of the benchmark on-grid tariff for Gen II nuclear power plants, which was set at CNY 0.43 per kWh, and the principle of supporting Gen III demonstration projects by allowing flexibility for higher prices. The released tentative prices, according to the Notice, also reflects the willingness to subsidize the demonstration projects of respective provincial government.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 03/18 -03/22

HPR1000 New Builds Approved to be Built at Taipingling NPP in June

On March 18th, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment published the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Taipingling Phase I NPP, which will feature 2 HPR1000 units. According to the report, Taipingling Unit 1 is planned to have its FCD in June 2019, with Unit 2’s FCD following ten months later. Following the two HPR1000 new builds approved for Zhangzhou Units 1&2 last month, these are the third and fourth nuclear new builds to receive approval for 2019. The total investment for Taipingling is about CNY 41.2 billion, approximately the same as that of Zhangzhou’s.

Four CNNC Nuclear Units Achieve Perfect Score for 2018 Performance

WANO has recently released their annual operation performance scores for nuclear power units around the world in 2018. Four CNNC units, namely Units 1&2 at Fangjiashan NPP (Qinshan Phase II Extension Project), Unit 4 at Qinshan Second NPP, and Tianwan Unit 2, were assigned a score of 100 and a first-place ranking.

Changjiang SMR Demonstration Project Planned to Begin Construction in December

CNNC has recently published a Second Notice on the Environmental Impact Assessment of Changjiang SMR Demonstration Project. The publication notes that the project will feature an ACP100 unit and its auxiliary facilities. The planned capacity for the unit is 125 MWe with thermal output power at 385 MWt. The SMR project is scheduled to have its FCD on December 31st, 2019 but the official date is still subject to the MEE’s approval. CNNC also projects that the project will take 65 months to build and the expected date for commercial operation is May 31st, 2025. One of the key objectives of the project is to explore the integrated utilization of nuclear power for electricity, heating, and air conditioning applications.

Self-developed Fuel Assembly Passes Post-Test Inspection

The CF3 fuel assembly, CNNC’s self-developed nuclear fuel, has recently completed irradiation testing at Unit 2 of Qinshan Phase II. The post-test examination shows that the fuel assembly performed well and meets the requirements to supply Gen III nuclear power units. This achievement paves a solid foundation for China’s own Gen III reactor design, HPR1000, to “go out”, as well as the international ambitions of China’s nuclear fuel industry.

Ex-core Nuclear Instrumentation Detectors for HPR1000 Successfully Developed

The locally developed ex-core nuclear instrumentation system for Fuqing Unit 5, the world’s first HPR1000 project, has recently passed receipt inspection. It is the first time for CNNC to deliver this technology based on fully proprietary intellectual property. It is another milestone on the path of localization of key Gen III civil nuclear technologies.

China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 03/11 -03/16

Reactor Pressure Vessel Installed at Tianwan Unit 6

On March 14th, Tianwan Unit 6’s reactor pressure vessel (RPV) was successfully installed. This milestone achieved paves the way for subsequent work of the installation stage, for example, primary piping welding and installation of reactor internals. The RPV has a net weight of 257 tons and a height of 10 meters. The installation process was witnessed by representatives from Jiangsu Nuclear Power Company, NPIC, CNPE, and CNNC Consulting Corporation. Northern China Regional Office of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center inspected the whole process on site. At this time, Tianwan Phase III Project is progressing well. The primary piping wielding has been completed for Unit 5 and it’s projected to begin commercial operation by the end of 2021.

High-Pressure Steam Turbine for World’s First Hualong One Reactor Installed

After working for 12 hours through the night, the 130-ton upper half of the high-pressure cylinder was finally buckled into place at 7:10am on March 11 at Fuqing Unit 5, the site of the world’s first Hualong One reactor.  This milestone paves the way for subsequent work such as installation of the steam turbine barring and hot testing.

The conventional island of the Fuqing 5 reactor includes an impulse condenser-style half-speed turbine with a single shaft, three cylinders (two low pressure, one medium-high pressure, and quadruple steam exhausts. Over one hundred subcomponents were reinstalled, tested, and calibrated during the 7-day installation, and all required parameters were met.

Ling’ao Unit 4 Completes Outage and Reconnects to the Grid

At 9:41pm on March, Ling’ao NPP Unit 4 completed its 7th outage and was reconnected to the grid. The outage work was undertaken by the Northeast No.1 Electric Power Construction, a subsidiary of the China Energy Engineering Group (CEEC).

This outage was different from previous outages. The SAP system has been overhauled to use the AS FOUND functional module. Automated management of the work was implemented, while working through the holiday of the Chinese New Year. The staff of Northeast No.1 Electric Power Construction completed the work with zero incidents and zero violations, completing the safety management objectives and making this a very good outage, with all indicators controlled.