Construction progress at Tianwan 3

Construction of the reactor building at the third unit of the Tianwan nuclear power plant under construction in China's Jiangsu province is nearing completion. Heavy equipment for the unit is already being shipped to the site from Russia.

Construction of the reactor building at the third unit of the Tianwan nuclear power plant under construction in China's Jiangsu province is nearing completion. Heavy equipment for the unit is already being shipped to the site from Russia.

The second steam generator makes its way to Tianwan 3 (Image: Atomenergomash)

The final concrete for the reactor building's walls was poured on 11 November, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced. The containment building now stands 38 meters tall and has a radius of 21.8 meters. Its walls are some 1.1 meters thick.

CNNC said that a total of 1057 tonnes of concrete and 530 tonnes of steel have so far been used in the building's construction.

The next stage in the unit's construction will be the installation of the dome on top of its containment building.

Tianwan 3 will be an AES-91 VVER-1000 unit designed by Gidropress and supplied by Russian state firm Rosatom. AtomStroyExport is the main contractor, supplying the nuclear island. First concrete for the unit was poured in December 2012. It is scheduled to begin operating February 2018.

Two similar units began operating at the site in 2007, while construction of a fourth began in September 2013. Each of the VVERs is rated to produce 1060 MWe.

Steam generator

The second of four steam generators has been shipped from its construction site in Russia to Tianwan 3.

The steam generators are being manufactured by Atomenergomash (AEM) subsidiary ZIO-Podolsk.

The PGV-1000M steam generator has a diameter of just over 4 meters, a height of 5 meters and a length of 16 meters. It weighs 378 tonnes. It has an operating life of 40 years, AEM said.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News