Fuel loading at second Fangjiashan unit
The process of loading fuel assemblies into the reactor core of unit 2 at the Fangjiashan plant in China's Zhejiang province has begun. The unit is expected to enter commercial operation next year.The process of loading fuel assemblies into the reactor core of unit 2 at the Fangjiashan plant in China's Zhejiang province has begun. The unit is expected to enter commercial operation next year.
.jpg "Fangjiashan 2 fuel loading - 250 (CNNC)") |
| Workers load fuel into the core of Fangjiashan 2 (Image: CNNC) |
The first fuel assembly was loaded into the reactor's core at 10.22pm on 3 December, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.
The process of loading all 157 assemblies into Fangjiashan 2's core is expected to take three days to complete, CNNC said. Trial operation of the CPR-1000 reactor will then be able to begin, during which many tests will be carried out. The unit is scheduled to enter commercial operation in October 2015.
The Fangjiashan project comprises two CPR-1000 reactors with a combined capacity of 2160 MWe constructed near the existing Qinshan plant. First concrete for the unit 1 at the Fangjiashan plant was poured in December 2008, while that for unit 2 was poured in July 2009. Unit 1 was connected to the grid on 4 November this year.
The project is 72% owned by CNNC, with the remainder held by Zhejiang Provincial Energy Group Co Ltd. Built by China Nuclear Power Engineering Company, the Fangjiashan plant is said to have an equipment localization rate of some 80%.
Six CPR-1000 reactors are currently operating in China, with a further 16 under construction.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
_92619.jpg)
