Fourth Ningde unit connected to grid

Thursday, 31 March 2016

Unit 4 at the Ningde nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province has been connected to the electricity grid, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced yesterday.

All four units at Ningde Phase I are now supplying electricity (Image: CGN)

The 1087 MWe CPR-1000 pressurized water reactor was connected to the grid at 11.02pm on 29 March, CGN said.

Work on the nuclear island at Ningde 4 officially began in September 2010. The dome of its reactor building was successfully lowered into place in May 2012.

Fuel loading operations began at the unit on 31 December, the same day China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a licence for fuel to be loaded. The process of loading all 157 fuel assemblies into the reactor's core was completed 3 January. The unit achieved first criticality on 16 March. It is expected to begin commercial operation in the coming months.

Four Chinese-designed CPR-1000 units have been built as Phase I of the Ningde plant, near Fuding city. Work on the first unit started in February 2008, with construction of units 2 and 3 beginning in November 2008 and January 2010, respectively. Unit 1 began commercial operation in April 2013, while unit 2 began supplying electricity to the grid in January 2014. Unit 3 came online in June 2015.

CGN noted that grid connection for unit 4 not only means that the reactor can now start supplying electricity, but also means that Phase I of the Ningde plant is nearing completion.

The Ningde plant is operated by Fujian Ningde Nuclear Power Company, which is 46% owned by CGN and 44% by China Datang Corporation. The remaining 10% is held by Fujian Provincial Energy Group. The construction of two Hualong One reactors is planned for Phase II of the plant.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News