Changjiang 2 vessel put in place

Monday, 16 June 2014

China has installed the reactor pressure vessel of the second new unit at Changjiang. It is scheduled to generate power from the end of next year.

China Nuclear Engineering Corporation carried out the job on 5 June, hoisting the 250 tonne component into place in a two-hour operation. The company said the process had to be carefully planned to account for unusually hot weather and rain at the site, near Hoi Mei Tong village on China's southern island province of Hainan.

Workers look on as the vessel is rotated to a vertical position (Image: CNEC)

Changjiang 2 is a CNP-600 pressurized water reactor that will produce 650 MWe. Four other CNP-600s operate at the Qinshan II nuclear power plant. The design was developed in China and more than 70% of Changjiang's components have been made domestically.

The Changjiang plant is a joint venture between China National Nuclear Corporation and China Huaneng Group, with shares split 51% and 49% respectively. The construction of unit 1 began around ten months before that of unit 2. Two further units are planned but their design has not yet been officially announced.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News